Empire
by Darth Kiryan
Summary: Vader was killed by Palpatine after the destruction of the first Death Star, but instead of dying, he finds himself on Tatooine. Behind this, a dark and sinister force watches over him, baiting him to fall into their trap. Darth Maul lives, Revan.
1. Chapter 1

EMPIRE

_Full Summary:_ After the destruction of the First Death Star, Vader was killed by Palpatine for his failure in not saving it from destruction. After his apparent death, he is found on Tatooine before the Jedi come to his aid. Due to Darth Vader being incorperated within him, he has double the strength that he usually had in the Phantom Menace. Behind his apparent rebirth into his youthful self though, a dark and sinister group of Sith warriors and ancient Sith Lords, all converge upon him, bying their time so that they can persue their dominion over him.

As he returns to the Old Republic, he must deal with being Anakin Skywalker again, and his ever burning hatred for Obi-wan Kenobi. He must adjust to the life that he once had and live through it once again, attempting to change the course of history. Palpatine still attempts to seduce him, and although he is being seduced by the true Dark Side of the Force, he remains a servant of the Dark Lords who bought him back from the brink of death.

_Timeline_: This story begins immediately after the formation of the Empire. It is about two or three years after Palpatine has declared himself Emperor. It begins with Darth Vader waking up after being sent to his death by Palpatine. He is then sent back in time to the Clone Wars. It begins during _The Phantom Menace_, and up to and including _Revenge of the Sith_. The actual storyline though remains practically the same, with a few minor changes.

_Disclaimer_: Characters and places you recognize, such as Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and Coruscant, belong to George Lucas and Lucasfilms. The Phantom Menace novelization will be used as a major reference as well throughout the first phase of this story. Within this story there will be many unknown characters that are of my creation, as well as many ideas. Other characters will undoubtedly belong to George Lucas. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.

_Chapter Summary:_ Vader was killed by Palpatine after the destruction of the first Death Star, but instead of dying, he finds himself on Tatooine, before he was found by the Jedi. Behind this though, a dark and sinister force watches over him, baiting him on to fall into their deadly trap.

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Chapter 1 – New Beginnings 

"I am disappointed in you, my friend." The older man on the throne stated to him in an articulate way. Vader dared not to lift up his head and look his master in the eye, he was already fearful of his wrath as it was. The anger that was emanating from the Dark Lord was so powerful, and fearful that Vader found it hard for him to concentrate properly.

The Emperor continued. "You were sent there as my military Executer. You were to keep an eye on Tarkin for me, and to watch over the Death Star. You were to keep that thing safe." The older man sighed suddenly. "Do you know how much this is going to damage my credibility?"

"No, master," Vader replied, his voice low and full of sorrow. He had no wish to be punished again. "I have no idea…"

"Of course you don't." the Emperor cut him off sharply. This caused Vader to look up and stare at the age ridden face. There was no emotion, no pain, there was nothing. Just a tired old man, whose face, had hidden all his compassion and emotion. It was blank. No expression at all. "You have failed me, Lord Vader."

Vader felt the guilt rise within him. He swallowed suddenly, attempting to bar his way out of his predicament. "There were reasons…"

"There is no time for this, my apprentice." Palpatine stated firmly. "You may have done well in annihilating the Rebel Base, but the Death Star was my prized possession. I was surprised that my apprentice, the Dark Lord of the Sith could not defend that small a space. It was only two meters wide. A small exhaust port! And the fighter, you could have destroyed him easily."

"But master, he had the power of the Force with him."

Palpatine leaned forward suddenly. "And you don't?" he raised his eyebrows suddenly, waiting for the reply that never came. Vader sighed to himself, feeling guilty. He stared at his master, but then dragged his eyes to the people either side of his dark throne.

On the Emperor's right side there was a young woman, with red hair and a fantastic figure. She was the most trusted of the Emperor's hands. And Vader knew her to be Mara Jade. He had trained her from youth, to be loyal to the Emperor. She was cunning and ruthless, and would take delight in seeing Vader suffer mercilessly.

On the other side though there was someone of even more power. De-facto he was the third in command of the Empire after Darth Vader and the Emperor. The Emperor had specifically placed him in command of all of the black marketeering within the Empire, taking command of the Black Sun pirate and smuggling Cooperation. He was used the most in getting the materials to be made for the Death Star, and even more than Jade, he hated Vader for what he had done to his home world.

The Falleen home world had been destroyed by a chemical plant that had malfunctioned when Vader was in command, and had been instructed to watch over for the Emperor. Unfortunately, when it was destroyed, it spread around the entire planet, and killed most of the inhabitants. Xizor's family just happened to be apart of those killed. Like Jade, he wanted to see Vader die, and wanted to succeed as the Emperor's right hand man.

And today looked like he would get that wish.

Vader took in another deep breath as the Emperor came down from his throne and approached the Dark Lord, his apprentice and one time friend. His hands were placed out before him, as if hanging limp. "You have no idea what it means to be disappointed, Lord Vader."

Immediately the air became still and cold, crackling with silence, but bluish lightning suddenly leapt from the Emperor's hands. Vader screamed in agony as the electricity continued to wrap itself around the Dark Lord. He could feel his electric circuits begin to falter, and explode. His breathing had become more exasperating, and more rigid. Amid all of his cries he could feel the anger flowing off his master, the radiating pleasure off Xizor, and the fear that came off Jade, as she knew what it felt like to be punished by the Emperor.

Vader flee back in pain as the lightning stopped. His breathing had become erratic. The Emperor stepped forward again, and looked carefully at his apprentice. The wicked smile once more came into view. Then the lightning flowed again.

The Dark Lord wriggled in pain, screaming in fruition. He couldn't help himself, he was afire everywhere, within his body everything was being destroyed. He could feel his legs failing him, and his arms, and eventually his breathing. For all he knew he didn't think that the Emperor knew that he was actually killing his apprentice. He only meant to punish him. But this was the Sith way of life. Pain was their ally, except when they were being punished like this.

Vader suddenly stopped wriggling, but the Emperor kept flowing with electricity, determined to make an example of his apprentice. Jade, who was watching Vader very closely, immediately came to the realization, that Vader had stopped moving. She opened her mouth in shock. She didn't expect this, it was not the way that Vader was meant to be killed. Immediately she sent a mental note to her master. Palpatine seemed to sense her distress and stopped, staring at her.

He turned to Vader again, and watched with his eyes widening. His mouth fell open in disgust, he didn't mean for this to happen. Vader was meant to be a living example of punishment, he wasn't meant to die. "Lord Vader?" he pronounced carefully, trying to rouse him from the ground. He wasn't to sure if he had killed the Dark lord at all.

"Your Highness?"

Palpatine narrowed his eyes, drawing his mind back to the room. He turned suddenly, and came face to face with Xizor, who had a gleeful look on his face. The Emperor's face suddenly hardened, he was irritated at the interruption. He asked firmly, and harshly, with anger and distress evident in his voice. "What is it, Xizor?"

He felt the Falleen's approach, and saw him move into the light. He could feel the gulp in his ally's throat. "What shall we do with the body?"

The Emperor turned back to the body before him, not believing that his apprentice was dead. He knelt down besides him quickly for a moment, and placed a hand on the leathery arm of his apprentice. The shock then settled in, he could feel no pulse, no breathing, and no fear. There was nothing but complete silence.

There was emotion evident in his voice all of a sudden. His expression changed from a stern and vigilant look to a worried expression.

"Lord Vader?"

* * *

He awoke to darkness. 

At first he was not sure if he had awakened at all, or if he was within a dark room, filled with nothing but the everlasting darkness shadows. Yet his eyes could still deceive him, for all he knew he could be deep within the shadowy dream that he had been enduring. He was still partly asleep for all he knew. It would not be the first or last time that his eyes would have failed him. Unfortunately for him, his eyes could not penetrate more than a slight distance into the darkness which enveloped around him, and even after that, there was more darkness.

Yet he could feel.

His head lay against something smooth and cool. Usually he would think that it was the floor, but he was unsure for the moment. For a moment he could swear that it was soft, making himself more comfortable, he began to feel around and noticed that what lay under him and above him was soft. This immediately made him freeze as he began to discern what was covering him. It was strange, and yet soothing at the same time. He didn't understand it. His mind then suddenly clicked, it had to be a bed, or something to that effect.

Although it took a moment, Darth Vader knew he was lying on a soft bed or couch. His head was supported by a number of pillows or cushions. And he definitely had to be covered in a blanket of some sort. As he opened his eyes slowly he saw the sun shining into the room, illuminating his surroundings. All around him the surroundings of a normal bedroom came into view. His desk, the lights, and his inventions. The light stand, a small table, and all of his tools, amazingly there was a mechanical robot in the corner of his room, and as Vader focused in on it, it bought back memories of a long forgotten past for him.

He had to think hard for a moment, but it came back to him soon. It was the droid that he had left at home when he had left to become a Jedi, and then he had later met it when he went to Tatooine when he found his mother.

C-3PO.

It came back to him suddenly. it was C-3PO, the robot that he had built himself when he was only eight years old.

To think that that was a surprise, that his robot was here with him. it was at this moment that he knew that it had to be a dream. C-3PO was lost to him years ago. He had seen it before among the Alderaanian Royal Families possessions, but he had neither figured enough to go and claim it. They could have it for all he cared. True it was that this was a surprise to him, but the next one was larger.

A voice suddenly rang through the building. It was a sweet and caring voice. It reminded Vader of Padme for a moment, but more of his mother. "Annie," it sounded, echoing through the room. He had to be in a dream, it wasn't real. "Annie," it sounded again. Vader lifted his head and stared over at the door, and saw a woman enter.

Immediately his gaze focused, and his jaw dropped. The same face, dark hair and eyes. A beautiful woman, he figure left nothing to be desired. But it couldn't be. There was no possible way for this to be real; it had to be a dream. How could his mother be alive? He found himself thinking.

"Annie," she sounded in a low and caring voice. "You have to get up or you will be late for work."

Vader was dumbfounded. He was gawking at her, and for a moment her features narrowed. "What?" Anakin found himself asking.

"Why are you gawking at me like that, honey?" his mother asked suddenly, waving her pony tail around through the air.

"This…this," he found it hard to find the words for a moment. Then he turned to the mirror next to him and stared into it. He saw the younger version of himself. Sandy blond hair, blue eyes and a narrowed face. He found himself shaking his head in disbelief. He was his younger self again. He was his eight year old self. But he couldn't be. How was this possible?

He felt his mother enter suddenly, and place her hands around his neck. There was a worried glance on her face. "Is everything alright?" she moved in carefully to avoid upsetting him.

"I guess that I am just a bit confused," Anakin stated. He was troubled. "this has to be a dream, I remember you dying before me, in my arms."

Her eyes rose up immediately at that. There was a curious glance on her face. "Whatever do you mean Anakin? I am not dead, and this is certainly not a dream."

"Can you prove it?" Anakin stated frantically. He raised his voice all of a sudden. "I saw you die."

She smiled suddenly. "If this is a dream then this will not hurt." With that she pinched his arms and face, making Anakin scream out loud. He was left with reddened marks all over his body. His mother placed her hands on Anakin's shoulder and looked him carefully in the eyes. "I know that you have been sick recently, but this is beyond even you. This is not a dream Anakin. the past few days have just been having a strange effect on you."

"How long was I…sick?" he asked, lightening his voice all of a sudden.

"Almost three days." She returned to him. "Usually you don't get sick, but this was something different. yet, none of your friends got sick at all during their visits." She smiled suddenly. "This must have only been able to effected you. Now enough talk. Watto has been patient enough with you skipping out on him. It is time for you to go back to work."

"Really?" he asked, with his emotion not betraying him. He remembered working for Watto, and how much he hated him so much, and even when he had freed his mother, and took her away from him. He wanted to kill him then, as much as he did now. His anger began to grow, but he calmed himself down

Shmi saw the troubled look on his face and leaned in closer to him, wiping Anakin's forehead all of a sudden. You still might be a little sick, but dreams will make you confused. Now get going, or else Watto will deduct your pay, and he might beat you again."

"He wouldn't _dare_." Anakin said sharply. He had just said what he was actually thinking. He didn't actually mean it though.

Shmi stared at him quizzically for a moment, but let it pass. She turned around and left, staring back for a moment as if confused. Anakin remained by himself for a moment before he continued to change. After that he took what little breakfast was made for him and then went off to Watto's shop.

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This was only a small and short chapter, they are bound to be larger though. But please, please, **_Review _**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – A slave's life

_Disclaimer_: Characters and places you recognize, such as Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and Coruscant, belong to George Lucas and Lucasfilms. The Phantom Menace novelization will be used as a major reference as well throughout the first phase of this story. so i am apologising to Terry Brooks for the infringement of the story.

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Being a slave again was hard for him. It would be hard for Vader to readjust to being Anakin again, and also being a slave. He hadn't been a slave for almost twenty nine years, and now it was coming back to bite him in the arse. Sure with Palpatine he had to take orders, and it was like being a slave again, but it was different.

He had power when he was serving with Palpatine. He could order people around, be the master or men. As Vader, he commanded ships, armies. He was the man with the power, and he could execute anyone that he wanted. Everyone feared him for who he was. A powerful Sith Lord who could execute anyone just by lifting a finger. They didn't have to respect him, just as long as they obeyed his orders.

Like a Sith, the Jedi were the same way, except that Anakin didn't command anyone until the Clone Wars. He was always told what to do as a padawan and then a Jedi Knight, and it seemed that the only people that respected him was Palpatine, and the few non-Jedi who had heard of his exploits.

And like the Jedi, he hated being a slave. He hated them both.

Under Watto it was just fix this and that. Usually with the customers Anakin would have a shot at doing the work, but he, most of the time, remained fixing everything behind the shop while Watto did all of the deals, under and over the table. But due to his force talent, Anakin had heard some pretty interesting things between Watto and some customers. What surprised him the most about this deal though was that Watto was apparently supplying weapons to a number of smugglers and pirates. And he found that to be unusual.

Unfortunately for him though, in the past week, Anakin had been on the end of one of these deals, especially when Watto had scorned him and beat him for eavesdropping when he was with a customer. Anakin though took the beating without complaint as he harnessed all of his anger within him and swore that he would get Watto back.

Watto had called him a 'mistake' and a 'useless piece of kriffin'. He had even scorned his mother and said that Anakin would never amount to anything in this world. The beating though didn't take long, and as Anakin bore the brunt of it, he didn't complain, he just remained silent. This surprised even Watto, who seemed intrigued by all of this, and was surprised by the boy's courage.

He would have to be careful in the future. It was after one of these beating that Watto spoke to him though.

"Anakin my boy," he pronounced in Huttese, hiding his words from the customers in the shop. "You have to watch what you do around me, my boy. Some things are not right for you to hear, and what you needn't hear should worry you."

Anakin nodded silently as Watto disappeared into the front of the store, flapping his wings. He cursed him silently, swearing that he would get the Toydarin back—eventually. He swore that he would.

Walking home later that day, Anakin remembered the last conversation that he had had with Watto. As usual it was about a small item that he had undercharged its value of, and he had sod it to the Republican Guard member. After he had disappeared, Watto had come in and slapped the youthful boy straight across the cheek.

The pudgy body flapped before him. "Do you have any idea how much this is going to cost me boy?" he asked in a slightly annoyed tone. "What you did then was unacceptable."

Anakin, slightly flustered and sore stared back at the Toydarin. "if it was wrong what I did, then why didn't you intervene and…"

He was cut off when another sharp fist hit his cheek. Watto was angered beyond his usual spasms. "Do you have any idea what you did?" he hovered before the boy, flapping his wings wildly. Anakin stood in his place, readying himself for the oncoming beating. A beating which never came. There was no expression on his face. It was blank.

Watto chuckled silently to himself. He was proud of Anakin for some reason. "I am proud of what you did, Anakin, my boy, one of your first sales. You did well." He lowered to stare equally at the boy, his face firm. "But don't do that again without me present. You have great skill in dealing with people, but you haven't learnt the trade yet."

He whisked his hand before him, pointing to the door. "You have done well for the day, Anakin, you may go home now."

Anakin jumped for joy, and headed for the door immediately. Watto chuckled to himself again, and wondered to himself how he was ever going to fix what the boy had done.

Anakin rounded the corner when two large hands gripped him suddenly, pulling him towards the inner walls between the houses and buildings. Anakin would have fought back, until he noticed who it was. It was Kitster and Wald, two of his best friends. Kitster, a human male like Anakin, was a slave to one of the more wealthy landowners in Mos Espa. He had been shoveled around a lot during his tenure as a slave. Wald, though, was a Rodian, and like all other Rodians, they had no distinctive features, except that they were all green.

The youthful slave boy smiled as he saw his friends, and placed his hands on their shoulders. For a moment he paused and stared at them, noticing that they had a number of cuts and bruises on their faces. He frowned suddenly, and started. "What happened," he asked in a quiet tone.

Kitster bowed his head, as if in disgrace. It was the Rodian who spoke up first. "Greedo sold us out to Marcellus and his gang."

"Sold you out!" Anakin repeated, bemused and confused at the same time. "How?" he asked, "What for? And what did you do?"

The human slaves head seemed to ring up suddenly. He was concerned. "What do you mean what did we do?" he wondered at his friend, curious as to his attitude. He saw Anakin's head lean forward as if wanting more information. Kitster relented. "You remember, don't you?"

Anakin nodded, not understanding.

"You know," Kistster supplied. "The thing that we were supposed to be doing three days ago, but you were sick, so we had to go ahead without you."

"What did you do?" Anakin again asked. "I have no idea?"

If Kitster thought he was meant to be amused, he didn't show it. He was flustered, and getting angry. "We attacked their base of operations, their hideout the other day, but Greedo was captured, and he bailed on us, ratting us out."

"Really?" Anakin asked, making it sound like a statement, as if he was disinterested.

Kitster roughly grabbed Anakin's shirt, tearing it lightly around the collar. "He ratted you out especially, saying that it was your idea. Marcellus said that he was going to kill you, tear you limb from limb and…"

"Alright," Anakin relented suddenly. He didn't want to be spat on for much longer. "I get the point, I am in trouble." He smiled suddenly, earning a queer look from the others. "But I will take care of it."

That wasn't that reassuring to the others. Kitster and Walk turned and stared at each other, not even noticing Anakin disappear into the streets, heading back the way that he came. As soon as they had noticed that he was gone, and had rounded the corner, they chased after him, trying to stop him from doing, and going to where they thought he was going.

Kitster was pleading. "Are you insane?" he asked, surprisingly. He was worried, but more so afraid, yet there was reverence hinted in his voice. "He will kill you!" he stated flatly

Anakin stopped walking suddenly, and turning sharply he handed his bag to Wald, who found the weight inside of it heavy. He almost fell when he had taken it. Placing his hand on Kitsters shoulders he stared into his friends eyes. "Let him try," Anakin uttered, and walked off.

Kitster, still pleading with him, followed with Wald following as well. As they rounded a few more corners they came face to face with Marcellus and his group. Upon seeing this, Marcellus and his three goons approached him and stood firm before him. It was true that Marcellus and his followers were taller and stronger, and had a heavier build, yet they were the same age as the boys. But then again, boys will be boys. Anakin breathed in slightly, and motioning for his friends to remain, he walked forward and stood a few feet away from Marcellus.

Marcellus, seeing this, couldn't believe his eyes, and came forward to meet him, rubbing his fists in a pleased mode. Anakin stood firm though, watching as the youthful, but more aggressive boy came forward. Anakin remembered, taking a deep thought, and a deep breath, and remembered what had happened when he was Vader, and how to use the mind control on everyone. Tapping deep within his mind, he didn't even feel Marcellus lift him up. But he did feel himself slam up against the wall.

Crying out in pain, Marcellus lifted his fist and readied for the strike. Anakin though remained calm, and stared at Greedo, who was staring at Anakin in delight, and at Marcellus, as the fist made its way back.

As Marcellus was about to release his punch, he noticed that Anakin started to laugh, and as this perplexed him all of a sudden, he stared at him, his eyes wide and open. He was confused. Kirtster and Wald, along with the other boys thought that Anakin had gone insane, yet as they saw his hand move across his brow, they saw the most incredible thing happen. Marcellus let go of Anakin.

It was strange, but two more times that happened, Anakin waved his hand and spoke something at the same time. Marcellus seemed to nod as well, and then, seemingly, bowed his head. They all stood wide eyed as Anakin walked towards Kitster and Wald, receiving his bag and then walked off quietly, but turned and gave Marcellus a nod.

As Marcellus looked over, he made his way back to the group, spoke something to his followers, and then, as if summoned, began to belt up Greedo. There were startled cries of rage, surprise and pleas of help, but Anakin kept on walking, his two friends perplexed, and suddenly keeping aware that their friend had a strange ability.

It took a while, but as they walked further towards Anakin's residence, Kitster walked up to Anakin and stopped him. "How did you do that?"

Anakin noted that his voice had a hint of fear in it. he turned his head and stared at his friend, and then replied. "Magic." He stated flatly.

"Magic?" Wald replied, a bit skeptical.

Anakin nodded. "Magic."

He headed to his door, aware that his friends were watching him closely. Confused.

This was even shorter. The next one will be longer. Please Review.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Reintroductions

_Disclaimer_: Characters and places you recognize, such as Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and Coruscant, belong to George Lucas and Lucasfilms. The Phantom Menace novelization will be used as a major reference as well throughout the first phase of this story. so i am apologising to Terry Brooks for the infringement of the story.

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_**: Several months later**_

Tatooine.

It was the one place where you would die of thirst before you had even departed from your ship. The planet was so dry and bare that there was rarely any sign of life at all on this planet. It was surprising at best, but well known. The worst thing about it being a sandy planet was that it attracted the suns heat, amplifying it to such a degree that making people live on this planet would almost be impossible. Somehow though, people had been doing it sine the early years of the Republic, and even before that.

The twin suns glared down upon the planet, making the heat rise up and consume the planet, bathing it in a white light. The heat waves flashed along the surface of the planet, mellowing it in a consuming it in nothing but a familiar presence of barren earth. It was sad, really, that a planet, that was once a lush and beautiful planet, with rivers and hills, forests and valleys of grass, and even seas, had dried up and ended up like this.

Some people just didn't want to think about it at all. Anakin Skywalker was one of those people. Ever since Vader had become part of him, Anakin had been enjoying his life. True it was that both of his spirits, the Anakin and Vader sides, fought each other, making him have nasty dreams, screaming out loud at times, they were yet able to work during the day, together in a mutual way. But in the end though, it seemed that Vader was the winner, being the stronger and more powerful figure, and Anakin adhered to that, wanting a share in some of the power.

Usually he would feign sweetness, and then lash out at those around him, usually using some of his manifested Force powers to do so. These Force powers mainly consisted of a Force push and pull, and the mind trick. That may have been able all that he could do, but it was enough. He had even started meditation as well, and that had calmed him down quite a bit, enabling him to control the quarrelling spirits within him.

Strangely enough, ever since he had first used his powers on Marcellus, his group had feared him slightly. Indeed Marcellus had made a deal with Anakin, or the Vader side of Anakin. And together they had started up their own little cartel business club. Of course, though, they had a man they used as their forefront, but Anakin was the man behind the mask. Marcellus and him had started up their own club, and began to steal things, and buy things under the table, making deals with shady characters. His friends had actually begun to fear Anakin, but as he controlled most of the gangs in the city now, and his powers kept him in control.

It was strange that a kid was in command of a criminal type enterprise within the city limits of Mos Espa, but it was mainly kids that he controlled, people his own age.

And the strangest thing about it was that none of the adults knew who the leader of the group was. He was just a phantom to them. Someone that they didn't even know existed, a figment of their imagination. And besides this though, Anakin's closest friends, Kitster and Wald, though they had heard the rumors, they didn't believe them. Anakin was, to be in fact, someone that they could trust.

Anakin himself though was a kid alone. His true friends were Kitstar and Wald, and then there was Marcellus as well, who was more or less his bodyguard when they were conducting business. Anakin didn't look like much though, but it was the Force powers that made him lethal. (A/N: It seems strange, I know, but just run with it.)

Apart from all of this though, Anakin lived a very normal life. Still as a slave within Watto's workshop, and still having to obey his mother. He still had many friends, and loved being with them. And in a way, Anakin was enjoying his life as a slave.

As Anakin made his way to the shop, he had remembered that he had to meet with a group of freighter pilots from the Core Worlds. He was actually interested in trading with them as he had never seen much of the Core Worlds. In fact, he had previously had a talk with some of these pilots, and one of them, he remembered, was the pilot who had talked to him after his last pod race. h actually liked the older battle scarred man. It was a pleasing enterprise. Unfortunately for Anakin though, fate had intervened and he would not be making that meeting on that day.

As he passed one of the alleys between the houses, some gloved hands struck at him, grabbing him and tossing him within the maze of alleys and streets between the houses. His muffled screams did nothing to ease the temperament of what was happening as the two men that were carrying him carried him deeper within the maze of alley ways and small walkways. Finally though, to Anakin's surprise they stopped and placed him down against the wall wherefore another few men appeared and surrounded.

As soon as he was placed down, he stared at the men surrounding him. All of them had puzzled looks on their faces, and they seemed to be amused that the thought of this child as a mastermind behind all of the stealings over the past few month. There were a few bemused looks on their faces.

One of them suddenly spoke up. "Are you sure that the source was correct?"

"What?" another returned. "Sure about what?"

The man pointed his face at the second, and spoke aloud. "Are you sure that this is the kid that we have to kill. Look at him…" they all seemed to stare at Anakin again for a moment, as if in puzzled thought. "He has to be about eight or nine years old for christ's sake."

"Who cares about his age," one more man popped in. "We were hired to kill him, and regardless if he is the guy in charge, or the son of the guy in charge, we still have a job to do."

"I agree, let's do this and be done with it." Another stated flatly.

Anakin now was getting flustered, and as he saw one of the men suddenly flip out a small blade, he nearly flipped. As they all approached him, two of the men held Anakin against the wall while the man with the humming blade stepped forward, grasping his hand tightly. He breathed in slightly.

"Sorry kid," he said as he knelt before the boy, the knife inches from his face. "But I gotta do this, and I ain't got no choice in the matter."

Anakin was almost smiling. He could get away so easily. There were only five of them, and he may be one but he still had the Force on his side. "That's okay," he stated, which earned a confused look from the attacker. "You've got to do what you have to do, and I have to do what I have to do."

Immediately he let go a major Force ripple, sending the five killers flying through the air. He had been swelling up the energy for a while now, and finally let him release it in a all powerful burst so that he could get away. As the men hit the wall hard, Anakin stood there for a moment, and stared at them. finally, getting the courage to run, he ran hard, going through the alleys between the houses. Behind him he could hear the muffled screams of the killers. He didn't see where he was going, and didn't even notice, that before him he had run into a man with a long beard and hair, who was looking at him curiously.

* * *

As the ship landed on the outskirts of the city, Qui-gon Jinn entered the engine room where e hyperdrive was. As he entered he could hear the muffled screams of his apprentice. Obi-wan had swore aloud, something that he never usually did. Most Jedi did the same thing, but mainly when they were alone. But Qui-gon merely stared at his apprentice, obviously he didn't know that Qui-gon was in the room yet.

"That's a bit…unethical, don't you think?" Qui-gon stated as the door closed behind him. Obi-wan, startled, looked up with a surprised look on his face at his bemused master. For the moment he didn't think that it was funny. He sighed to himself as his master approached him, and stood near him.

Obi-wan shook his head. "The hyperdrive generator is gone," he stated flatly, not yet losing hope. "We will need a new one."

Qui-gon moved closer to Obi-wan, a look of concern written into his face. Obi-wan couldn't be sure if the expression was for him, or the hyperdrive or for something else. But something was wrong, and when Qui-gon was usually depressed, then Obi-wan was as well, and then there was something wrong. His master leaned in closer.

"Don't let them send any transmissions," he said quietly, there was concern evident in his voice. He shook his head, as if there was something troubling him. "Be wary, I sense a  
disturbance in the Force."

He had felt it as well. "I have felt it also master." Obi-wan nodded. "should we be on our guard?"

"Yes." Qui-gon replied. "I am not to sure about this crew of guards, they seem to be…against our better judgment."

Obi-wan nodded in reply. He had also seen how the Nubian guards had been treating them. Also Captain Panaka who seemed harshly against the Jedi, as if he didn't believe that they would lead them on the right path. There was also something looming around that man that Obi-wan didn't trust.

Qui-gon left his apprentice with the hyperdrive and continued for the ramp near the mid section of the ship. He descended it quickly and took a great look at the planet on which he was about to walk on. There was nothing but hard sand, and miniature rocks splitting from the surface. It wasn't that attractive at all. There was nothing remotely visible about it at all. Just more sand and heat.

Behind him came Jar Jar and Artoo who were coming along as well. Well Artoo mainly as he had the schematics for the ship and what was needed and Jar Jar was coming along mainly so that Qui-gon could lose him. Yet besides that, he was interested in the planet as much as the Jedi aster was. They had only just started their trek across the hard desert and rocky outcroppings, heading towards the small settlement that was before them when Qui-gon stopped and peered into the distance, seeing a small, strange looking caravan make its way toward the small city.

'_How strange.'_ Qui-gon thought as he watched the caravan disappear into the city. A small cry behind him made him turn sharply. As he turned he glanced and saw Panaka and the Queens main handmaiden run towards them. The Jedi Master sighed as if he knew what was going to happen here. But he resigned himself to listen, as he was guarding the Queen, he had to listen.

"Wait!" Panaka yelled again. As soon as he had reached them he took in a deep breath and studied the Jedi for a moment. He turned to Padme as well and motioned to the Jedi Master. What she was wearing was not that attractive to Qui-gon, mainly a small peasant's garment. Standard Nubian clothing. "Her Highness commands you to take her handmaiden  
with you. She wishes for her to observe the local populace."

Qui-gon couldn't believe this. Was the Queen serious, she would just let one of her handmaidens leave like that? "No more commands from Her Highness today, Captain. This spaceport is not going to be pleasant, and I don't want to have to keep watch over her like I am going to have to do with our friend here." He motioned towards the Gungun next to him, who merely looked indifferent towards the comment.

Panaka knew that this was expected, and also took the comment to heart. He didn't wish for this to happen, but he had no choice. "I don't agree either, but the Queen wishes it. She is curious about this planet." He added in the last part sternly, to make sure that the Jedi understood that he was at a loss, and also to point out his distaste of the Jedi.

Padme and Qui-gon didn't miss that remark, but kept their thought to themselves. "I can take care of myself master Jedi. I have been trained to keep her Majesty safe for many years now. I am well trained in self-defence, and have a unique understanding of the art of fighting."

Qui-gon resigned himself to surrender, "This will be no pleasure cruise, my lady."

Padme smiled suddenly, "I can take care of myself. Don't make the captain go back to tell the Queen that you refuse."

The Jedi Master took that to heart. He didn't want to disappoint the ambassador here. She knew the Queen wanted to keep an eye on her, and the Jedi. "I don't have time to argue. But this is not a good idea," He said carefully, leaning in closer to her. "Stay close to me."

It was not long after the argument that the small group entered into the outer districts of the city. They were walking down the main street of the city, watching as the unique carts went passed and all of the strange animals. Qui-gon saw the many species that were there, and how many of them were from different planets. Rodians, Weequay's, and the majority, humans. Padme seemed even more surprised. It was obvious that she had never been outside of her planet before. But then again, she was roughly only fourteen. (A/N: That age discrepancy between Anakin and Padme, 8 and 14 has always bugged me. He does seem the part, but I think that hers is much more older than just 14. She seems a lot older. But then that might just be me. )

For the most part, the residents of this place were a mixture of wanted, the unwanted, the simple living people, smugglers, pirates, moisture farms for the most part, but also a few indigenous tribes and scavengers. There were few spaceports like this one within the galaxy at large, which are the havens for those who do not wish to be found. Padme stared at the Jedi Master for a moment, and saw that he was dwelling on his own thoughts. Qui-gon himself didn't know what it was, feeling a minor ripple flow all over him all of a sudden as if someone was in trouble. Moving his head from side to side, he hoped that he was only dreaming it. But he wasn't. He could feel a minor Force presence around him, definitely small, but very strong.

Qui-gon made his way to a small area between two buildings, partly within the shadow of one of them. It was a small space where Qui-gon settled to meditate on his thoughts for a moment. It was troubling him. There was a feeling of foreboding ill will all of a sudden. He didn't know what it was.

Then there was Padme. The Queens handmaiden. "Master Jedi?" she asked casually, noticing the change in attitude around Qui-gon. "Shouldn't we be finding a junk yard or a trader's outpost where we can get aid?"

"Quiet for a moment, my lady." Qui-gon commanded suddenly. "I sense that something is wrong. Something is about to happen that I can't quite put my finger on it."

At that moment a young boy suddenly appeared, tripping over the legs of the Gungun. Qui-gon, seeing this merely stared at the boy for a moment, and then stooped to pick him up. He brushed him off and cleaned him from all of the dirt. He read him carefully and he seemed to have a look of part fear, part excitement written in his face. Something was going on.

"Are you alrig…"Qui-gon began, but stopped as he saw some men round the corner. They all looked at the three travelers, and saw that the elderly man was in command. The man in charge of the group came forward and stood a few feet away from the Jedi. "Release the boy please." He stated firmly. Padme's eyes suddenly darted upwards, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Release the boy now." He stated again. This time Padme stared at the Jedi Master who stood his ground. The man stepped forward again, this time leveling with Qui-gon. "look fella, the boy is mine, and he is to be punished for what he just did to my men."

"Really?" Qui-gon asked, in a half joking manner. He didn't believe a word of what the man before him was saying. "Well how about I keep the boy and you move on your way." Padme saw him wave his hand in the air.

For a moment the man just stood there watching the Jedi. Finally though he turned around and headed back the way that he came. He turned though, and stared back at the Jedi Master, who, once again, waved his hand again in the air. "You will go home and never bother this boy again."

"We will never bother this boy again." They said in unison, and backed up into the alley and disappeared.

At that moment Qui-gon returned to the boy who was standing there, gob smacked and staring at the elder Jedi. Anakin knew that this was Qui-gon Jinn, the man who had promised to train him. He had to act as surprised as possible. The Jedi Master smiled suddenly. "Are you alright?" he asked again, this time staring at the boy.

Anakin was still partly afraid and confused, and yet excited to answer. "I…" he started, finding his voice, "I am okay."

"That's good." Qui-gon motioned. "They were not causing you trouble, were they?"

Anakin smiled to himself, which beamed at the Jedi Master. "nothing that I couldn't have handled." The Jedi frowned at that, and Anakin saw this, he resolved it quickly. "But, your help was much appreciated as I probably couldn't have done what you did. Thank you though."

"You are welcome." Qui-gon replied, hopeful that the boy could lead them somewhere. He had to ask anyway, as he thought that the boy had a special presence within him. The Jedi Master could feel the Force flowing through him, but couldn't yet feel how much of it there was. "you could help us maybe. I am looking for a place which sells J-type 327 Nubian hyperdrive engine…"

"Really," Anakin piped up suddenly. "I know this place like the back of my hand. I could get that for you easily, free of charge if need be." He straightened his face as he saw Qui-gon look at him curiously. "Unless you would like to meet my boss and master, he should have one of them somewhere lying around."

"Really?" Padme asked suddenly. Anakin turned to her suddenly and it was the first time that he had noticed her. She was still as beautiful as he remembered her. Then he remembered the present, and that he would have plenty of time to gawk at her later. Padme continued. "You would do that for us? People you don't even know."

"Meh." Anakin stated, still looking at her. "It matters not." He then turned back to Qui-gon, and stared into those dark eyes. "I will take you there right now, if you wish."

Qui-gon smiled through his beard. "Lead the way then." He motioned suddenly, making Anakin lead them to Watto's shop, which was, as of this moment, on the far side of town.

* * *

It seemed that as a group that Qui-gon and his fellow compatriots blended in nicely with the inhabitants of the city. There had been glances at the Gungun though, but that was merely left alone after they saw Qui-gon was leading him. Supposedly they just saw the lanky creature as his slave. Anakin had told them much since they had met, and that the city itself was named Mos Espa. Surprisingly most of the cities were named as such on this planet, with the same type of motif before it.

Anakin had led them down the main street to his own store, and before their own eyes Watto was waiting for him, with an impatient look on his face. The store though blended in with most of the surrounding buildings, messy, unkempt and totally decrepit. There was nothing attractive about it at all as it was just a messy, junk heap. As Watto approached him though, Anakin quickly explained in Huttese what had happened, in his own words, and how he had come across these traders, who, although they didn't seem like it, were very wealthy.

Watto approached the Jedi Master, and looked him over carefully, he was studying him, making sure that everything in a way fit and that the boy was not screwing with him. he nodded curtly, and dismissed what the boy had said. "The boy tells me that you are interested in buying a Nubian hyperdrive?"

Qui-gon, though as relaxed as he normally looked, seemed agitated suddenly. "Yes," The Jedi Master nodded silently. "We are in need of one, sooner rather than later."

Watto smiled, or seemed like he was smiling. "Ah yes, ah yes. Nubian. It is hard to come by, but I have lots of that. Comes to me all of the time, thanks to the boy." He nodded towards Anakin, making Qui-gon frown at that, not understanding what he meant. Though it most obviously had something to do with the misunderstanding that had happened before.

"That is good then." Qui-gon nodded, "I am in need of some momentarily, and I will make a deal with you however you wish. And with what you wish."

The wings on Watto's back seemed to flap faster all of a sudden. He was excited. "Well then," he stated with an aggressive and hard voice, though pleasing. "let us get down to business then eh?"

He turned to Anakin and stared at him for a moment. "Booki, Ganda doe wallya." (Boy, watch the store) He shouted out in Huttese. Turning back to Qui-gon he uttered something out of the corner of his mouth before speaking basic again. "Let us go out back and conclude our business eh?, you might find something that you might like."

He cast a quick glance at Anakin, and then left with Qui-gon, leaving Anakin and Padme alone in the room. Anakin quickly tapped into his memories again, and watched as they flooded through him. Padme, beautiful and fair, there was no one else for him, and he was always in love with her. They were meant to be together, yet fate always stood between them. To him, she would always be beautiful, her long, sleek black hair, and her beautiful rounded face. They shared a connection together, Anakin and her, and it was only broken when they chose their separate paths.

He was yet determined to stop that this time though. He would not lose her again.

It was only at that moment that he saw that he was staring at her with a determined look, and that she had partly moved away. Padme though had not as yet mingled with the lower classes as she was a Queens handmaiden, but Anakin didn't know that yet. For him, she was just a beautiful girl pretending to be someone that she was not.

Then again, she was always strong.

Padme saw him looking intently at her, and aimed her own look at him. But she broke it off soon enough when she heard a clash of metal to the sides of her. As she looked away she saw Jar Jar making a mess as usual. Anakin though, still determined himself to ask that question that he had asked all those years ago when they had first met. Being trapped in a younger body had, in a way, its advantages.

He just had to ask it. Even now she was beautiful to him. There was no way that he could stop himself from doing so. "Are you an angel?"

Padme turned to face him, with a confused, yet bemused smile on her face. _'There was the look again.'_ Anakin thought to himself. The girl though was staring at him.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"You know, an Angel," Anakin stated. _'I am going to regret this the rest of my life.'_ He was staring at her intently. "I've heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They live on the Moons of Iego I think. They are the most beautiful creatures in the universe. They are good and kind, and so pretty they make even the most hardened spice pirate cry."

"Really?" Padme piped up, aware that the boy was flirting with him. She stepped closer to him. "Do I make you cry?"

Anakin had a pouted look on his face. He didn't expect that. Being trapped in his younger and more youthful body had its disadvantages as well as its advantages. _'Maybe the time frame has changed a little bit.'_ He thought to himself. _'I still have no idea how I came to be here, so I guess that anything can happen.'_ He was a bit ashamed at not replying for a moment as he was taken aback, he shook the feeling away and replied quickly.

"No," he stated flatly. "I don't cry that easily. But you are beautiful."

She straightened at that remark, and folded her arms at him, and placed a smug smile on her face. "Well I'd hate to disappoint you, but I am no Angel."

"You must be one of them," Anakin insisted, giving into his little youthful charm. "You just might not know it yet."

"You're a funny little boy." She smiled suddenly. "How do you know so much?"

"I know lots of things." Anakin stated proudly, straightening himself up.

"Like what?" Padme Asked with a childish grin, and made herself sit up next to him on the counter to have a civilized conversation.

"Well," Anakin began, childishly grinning at her as well. "Apart from listening to the deep space pilots talk, I have learned as much as possible from some of the Republic Guards and pilots that sometimes come here to watch a pod race. Apart from that, I listen to the holovid every now and again. You pick up some useful things out here sometimes."

"Really," she queried at him all of a sudden. "I didn't think that the holovid came out this far. We are pretty far away from the Core Worlds, and we only get scant visions from Naboo."

"Is that where you are from?" he asked, ever hopeful.

She smiled at him. "Yes," she exclaimed at him, as if enjoying their conversation. "That is where I am from—Anakin was it?"

He nodded reverently, as if in anticipation and to keep the conversation going. "Where do you come from Anakin?" she asked him suddenly, intent to learn more of the outside world. She hadn't been this far out before.

"Here, Tatooine I think," he stated in a solemn tone. "I have been here most of my life. Since I was very little, three, I think. My Mom and I were sold to Gardulla the Hutt, but she lost us, betting on the pod races, to Watto, who's a lot better master than Gardulla, I think. In a way this has always been my life, and I enjoy it."

She leaned in closer to him as if confused. "You mean that…" she tried to word it carefully to avoid offending him. "You're...a slave?"

The way that she said it would have made anyone feel ashamed or angry, but in a way, Anakin, as himself and Vader, had been a slave all of his life, and there was nothing lost there between him and slavery. He bowed his head, attempting to make him look sorry for himself, and make her feel guilty. "Yes," he stated in a solemn note.

Padme remained silent for a moment, feeling guilty in what she had said. "I'm sorry," she stated. "I didn't mean to offend you. I am afraid that I don't fully understand." She began to look around, staring at all of the people outside of the shop. She seemed emotional. "This is a strange world to me."

"Well, being a Queen's handmaiden defiantly shows on you." Anakin chided.

"Sorry?" Padme asked in a confused manner. "I never said that I was a Queen's handmaiden."

Anakin straightened. "Yes you did."

"No I didn't." she replied evenly.

"Yes, you did." Anakin said back. "How else would I have known that?"

As Padme was about to reply a frustrated Qui-gon Jinn entered the room with a partly pleased Watto on his trail, trying to reprimand him. The Jedi Master was angered that the shop keeper was a Toydarin and that the Jedi Mind tricks didn't work on him. Watto was talking aloud carefully.

"I keep telling you," he pronounced. "Republic credits are no good out here. I need  
something more—ah—real."

"But I don't have anything else." Qui-gon stated flatly. "And I don't see why you cant use them if you go to the deep core."

"Like I would ever want to get out of this stink hole of a planet." The argument was getting heated. "You may be a Jedi, but, as I said, the Mind tricks don'ta work on me-only money. No money, no parts! No deal! And no one else has a T-14 hyperdrive, I promise you that. I'm the  
only one hereabouts who has one." He added laughing all of a sudden.

Qui-gon turned his back against the Toydarin and hurriedly left. Behind him Artoo stalks within, following at roughly the same pace. With barely looking at the others in the shop, he commands them to follow him. "We're leaving, now."

Padme began to turn away, and Anakin, feigning sadness, yelled out behind her. "I'm glad I met you Padme."

"As am I Anakin." Padme said as she turned once more, flipping her haior in the process which earned a stare from Anakin. He was smiling. Although this became dinned in the end as Padme was walking out she bumped into a creature with four legs, two of which were used for arms. The creatures long face reminded him of a camel type creature. He was dark skinned as well, and didn't even bother to say sorry to Padme, making Anakin get angry.

'_It was only Sebulba.'_ Anakin thought to himself. _'Only someone like him would do that to someone that I had just met.'_ He began to tap into his dark side all of a sudden sending a minor ripple through the Force. He was surprised by this as Qui-gon didn't feel it. _'I have to make sure that I do away early with you.'_ he thought to himself.

"Young Fool," Sebulba called out in an agitated way. "Keel-ee calleya ku kah, I would have thought that those men would have been enough to take care of you, but I guess that I was wrong, _shag_." (Keel-ee calleya ku kah 'You disappoint me.'; And Shag 'slave')

Anakin had a bemused smile on his face. "The fact that you spend time among a shag, such as myself, means that you must covet this lifestyle. But then again, why would you want to waste time with a _shag_ like me."

Sebulba placed one of his legs, and clasped the young child's throat. "Chess ko booki, neek me chowa, wermo, mo killee ma klounkee." (Careful boy, the next time that we race it will be the end of you.)

Anakin appeared to be struggling. "Let go of me Sebulba." He cursed at him in basic. He was becoming angry. Sebulba smiled at him.

"Una noto wo shag, me wompity du pom pom." (If you weren't a slave, I'd squash you right now.)

"Then pretend that I am not a slave," Anakin began, hoping that it would anger the alien worthless slime ball. "Pretend that I am someone else."

Sebulba smiled. He began to talk in basic. "I wouldn't want to leave your mother alone, the fierfek that you are."

That was the last straw for Anakin. No one got away with bumping into Padme, threatening him, and then his mother. He pointed a dirty look at the Dug, and then focused his energies on him. His fists were clenching and his face was beginning to screw up. Around him and Sebulba the metal was beginning to shake.

Outside though it was a different matter, and as Qui-gon and Padme fled the scene, he finally got a call from Obi-wan on the com link. He was annoyed that he didn't get the parts that he needed; he would just have to try something else. The com link beeped for a moment, and then the Jedi Master went to pick it up.

"Yes Obi-wan?." Qui-gon asked in a rather annoyed tone of voice.

Obi-wan remained silent for a moment, but finally replied. "I just felt another of those ripples in the Force, my master. Did you feel it as well?"

Qui-gon was a bit stumped as they were in the middle of they street, they stopped suddenly, Qui-gon had been so immersed in his anger at the Toydarin that he didn't notice the Force ripples emanating from the boy. He knew that it had to be the boy. As he thought of it now he felt another ripple flow over him all of a sudden. He remained stationary for a moment, the talked into his com link.

"I felt that one, Obi-wan." He swiftly turned only to feel another Force ripple, and see a small figure, mainly the Dug that had bumped into Padme, swiftly be thrown out of the store. He found himself in a pile of sand on the other side of the street. Padme turned suddenly to see what was going on, and immediately they saw Anakin emerge from the store, holding his right hand out towards the Dug on the ground.

Once more though, they heard the Dug say something in huttese, and almost immediately he went flying into the wall of the building behind him. And in all the confusion of the moment, Qui-gon Jinn was staring at the boy, and watching carefully as he used the Force to his advantage against someone that he considered who had wronged him.

* * *

Please review. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Force Powers

_Disclaimer_: Characters and places you recognize, such as Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and Coruscant, belong to George Lucas and Lucasfilms. The Phantom Menace novelization will be used as a major reference as well throughout the first phase of this story. so i am apologising to Terry Brooks for the infringement of the story.

* * *

Qui-gon stood motionless while the Dug was thrashed against the wall of the house. Whatever he had said to the boy had made him go right off. The Jedi Master could feel the hate flowing through the boy, seething in rage. Around him very single grain of dirt was shaking, and the walls were crumbling. Bit by bit Anakin moved his two main fingers forward and back, making the head of Sebulba hit the wall over and over again.

He had amassed an impressive crowed around him, and they were surprisingly shocked at the development in their relationship. Usually it was just a hate relationship between competitors, but this was close to murder. Qui-gon could read the shocked minds of the surrounding people, and finally made his choice to step in as blood became spattered against the wall.

"Anakin," Qui-gon began, stepping forward suddenly, slowly as to not get into the crossfire. He had to calm the child down or else he would kill him. He made himself peer into the mind of the youthful boy. "Anakin, stop." He implored once more.

He began to delve into Anakin's mind to make him stop. Almost immediately he hit a brick wall. He was struggling to go through it. it was a defensive barrier that he had hit, one of the strongest that the Temple would ever permit a Master to erect, but this seemed beyond that. It was one of the most powerful shields that had ever been erected. Qui-gon was trying his best to break through them, but not too much effect.

Qui-gon then began to think to himself all of a sudden. '_How is this possible?' _he found himself saying. These shields were too powerful for a person with no Force ability could erect._ 'Not only has he managed to create them, but he's managed to modify them as well! They are stronger than any I have ever faced._' "Anakin," he found himself saying out loud. Yet he knew that it was not getting through, so he had to try a drastic tactic. He hoped that he would never have to do this again, but there was a first time for everything.

Raising one of his hands, he spread it out, and unleashed a small Force wave. Anakin was caught completely off guard by it, and he was flung back within the shop. As he slumped down, Qui-gon could hear the crashes within the store, of metal flying everywhere and a number and things shattering. On the other side of him though, the body of Sebulba fell down to the ground, slumping like a bag of shit. A few people went to help him and took him away after a moments notice. Qui-gon could feel that he was still alive, but barely.

The Jedi Master immediately remembered Anakin, and raced forward entering the store. He came to the collapsed body of the young boy. Who, just a moment ago, had been caring and sweet. Whatever the Dug had said to him had set him off. Qui-Gon reached forward and placed his hand on the childs forehead, and felt if he was still conscious.

'_Good,'_ Qui-gon thought. _'He is still alive. But he may be out for a while.'_ He paused in his thoughts and just studied him for a moment_. 'How could he erect shields like that? It should be impossible. I need to find out more.'_ Once more he reached into his mind, but it was blank. There was nothing. Whatever was there before, there was nothing now.

"Do you really think that that was necessary?" a voice behind him asked.

Qui-gon turned sharply and stared into the face of Padme. For a moment he frowned, and then turned back to the boy. "There was nothing else that I could have done to stop him." he turned back again and looked Padme intently in the eye. "What else would you have me do? Nothing else could be done. He was going to kill that creature…"

"He was probably provoked…" Padme interrupted him, but was swiftly interrupted herself.

"Be that as it may, my lady, but the Force is not a thing to be trifled with." He turned again to Anakin. "He could have done some serious damage to that Dug, and what's more, when I reached into his mind, and just before I pushed him away I felt…"

Padme straightened for a moment. She was now curious. "What did you feel?" she nudged him, making him explain.

Qui-gon took in a deep breath. "Pain. Anger." He turned to face her. "It was unlike anything that I had even felt before. It almost seemed like he was…well, enjoying it."

Padme raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. She didn't understand, and she would never understand. That was the way of non-Force sensitive people. They had no knowledge of the Force, or the wide world.

* * *

The Jedi Master placed his hand on the boys head, making him stir in his sleep type state. Now he looked very peaceful, compared to before when he was going to murder that Dug for what he had said to him. It was strange that a boy this young could have such a strong Force ability, and none of the Jedi had ever felt it before. None of it hade much sense at all to the Jedi Master, as he wandered over the events that had led to his drastic decision.

For the past hour or so he had relayed what had happened to Anakin to Obi-wan, and he had felt that the boy was too dangerous to be left here, or with them. Even from the ship, the crashed Jedi could feel the presence of a singular Force power that had slowly begun to fade. Obi-wan was convinced that there was something wrong with the boy. But Qui-gon was convinced otherwise, and that maybe they could heal the anger within him, and use him to their advantage, to train him as a Jedi.

It was only a few hours ago that Qui-gon had arrived at Anakin's home, and that he had had a brief chat to his mother about the unique abilities that her son had. At first she was skeptical, but within an hour or so she understood that Anakin was special, and had a place where he could work on his abilities that had just appeared as of late. What Qui-gon found interesting though is that Anakin had only changed within the past few months, and that his powers had come into being within the three days that he was sick. _'What happened in those three days?' _Qui-gon found himself wondering. He was worried about the boy.

'_What did the Dug say to you that would trouble you so horribly?'_ He thought, part of him clenching in fear. '_What could make you so frantic, giving into a hate like that?'_

The Jedi Master was lost about the abilities that he was seeing, especially in a nine year old male child. In truth, the Jedi Master had no idea what to think.

"What do you think happened?" a voice asked him suddenly, making Qui-gon look into the doorway. He saw Padme standing there, with a worried expression on her face. Qui-gon shook his head, and turned to the boy, his voice low.

"I'm afraid I only have suspicions, my lady," he said, frowning a little at his remark. He heard Padme head back down the hallway, and leave him in silence with the boy.

Drawing a deep breath the Jedi Master thought of something, it hadn't been done in a while, but he had done it once with Obi-wan when he was troubled. He would attempt to draw out memories of his past, and to see if anything would lead to a marker of why Anakin had acted so indifferently towards the Dug. Leaving the side of the bed, he knelt at the head of the bed and carefully placed his hands, gently placing them at Anakin's head, near his temples. Taking in another deep breath he swallowed hard and drew in as much of the Force as possible. Closing his eyes he concentrated on the child, and waited as the memories attempted to reveal themselves.

He seemed to be waiting for a long time, and was getting frustrated with it. Even for a boy who was unconscious some time ago, and then asleep, and after that, he was only eight; he still had his mental shields up. Once again, Qui-gon was finding it hard to break through them. If he hadn't known better, he would've sworn that there was nothing there, that his mind was blank and empty. But what he did find interesting was that there was an even darker spot in his mind. Focusing in on that spot, he found out that it was his greatest mistake as he ran into some tougher shields. He knew this kind of mental shielding well, having been forced to use it on occasion, but this was tougher than the usual kind. It was a combination of shields that not only hid the Force-user's presence from other Force-users, but masked their mental signatures as well. The Jedi Master could just feel the child's presence, but beyond that, there was no Force signature.

'_Let me in.'_ Qui-gon motioned through the Force as he battered down a number of walls, each one though getting tougher than the last. He concentrated harder, entering into the deeper recesses of Anakin's mind. His eyes began to squint, as he was struggling to make his way into the blank spot. Then, just as soon as he had entered, all of the shields had suddenly vanished. This puzzled Qui-gon for a moment, and it made him think that Anakin was still partly awake. Checking his presence, he found that Anakin was still asleep, and he decided to continue.

Then all of a sudden he had succeeded, breaking into the mind successfully, bringing to light all that had been said and done in Anakin's life. He carefully went over the fight between Sebulba and Anakin, and found out that the Dug had insulted him and his mother, so it was only natural that they fight back. Anakin though shouldn't have been able to generate this much power, it was physically and mentally impossible. Especially at his age. Yet he was successful in doing so, and almost killed the Dug, yet, there was no trace of any problem on him. He seemed to contain the power, and control it.

To Qui-gon it seemed as if he had been doing it all of his life, but the Jedi would have felt it, wouldn't they?

He scanned through the child's mind once more and noticed a more heavily fortified shield in the middle of the memory. But as Qui-gon approached, they seemed to falter and disappear, as if leading him towards them.

_Padme_.

The word flashed in his mind.

_Padme_.

Once more it did it, troubling Qui-gon._ 'Maybe it was residue from their meeting some time ago.'_ He thought troublingly. But he knew that something wasn't right about that. He delved in deeper, and saw something that looked like the version of hell to him.

There were volcanoes everywhere and a large amount of smoke, ash, molten lave and pointed rocks jutting out of the surface. As he scanned further, he saw the eruptions escalate again and again. Around him the flames and eruptions of the planet rocked the balance of the force, making thousands of little ash stones fly into the air, and the lava came and flew on top of the rocky surface of the planet. What Qui-gon saw next though seemed to trouble him. He saw two people atop of a mechanical hovering device, and they were fighting. They seemed to both be Jedi, fighting over a river of lava. The man that he saw though, had a beard, and looked like a polder version of Anakin. He suddenly became intrigued.

Poised on a mechanized platform hovering above a river of lava, the two men faced each other. The Obi-wan look alike jumped high into the air as the darker man swung, landing on the hill top. He shouted at him from the safety of the rocky shoreline, "It's over Anakin. I have the high ground."

'_Anakin?'_ Qui-gon thought suddenly. _'It couldn't be…' _ he quickly returned to the vision that he was having.

"You underestimate my power." Anakin yelled, leaping into the air. It would not be that far, especially since he felt the Force running so strongly through him. His rage at and hatred of the other fighter made the Force pulse through his muscles. It would only be one leap, and he would be on the shore to finish off Obi-wan.

"Don't try it." Obi-wan had said.

He leaped high into the air, but he miscalculated the space that he would have on the high ground, and it was Obi-wan's saber that met his limbs that were now being remade on the table as he thought.

Qui-gon tore away from the sickening image, but delved in for more immediately, as he wanted to know what it was that would do such a thing to him, and how these visions and dreams could act on such a small boy. He wanted to see how it would end.

Even as Anakin's crippled body lay down upon the rocks, slowly sliding down to meet the incredible hot lava that was beneath him, he could sense Obi-wan's pain. The Obi-wan look alike seemed to have a look of regret and sorrow imprinted on his face. The undeniable pain in his old masters straining voice was evident. "You were the Chosen One. It was said that you would destroy the Sith _not join them_. Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness."

The only words that Anakin could conjure up, before and during his unbelievable amount pain of the lava lighting his body on fire were words of hatred: "Obi-wan??...I hate you." Amid all of the groans there was nothing but pain, and his old master could see that. "I hate you."

And then came the only comforting words of the old master. It was his last attempt to turn Anakin away from the Dark Side of the force. "You were my brother Anakin, I loved you." He pauses, looking at Anakin screaming in pain. "You threw all of your beliefs away because of your quest for eternal life. The Dark Side will only bring you unhappiness, and you will suffer more than anyone else would. By allowing this Dark Lord to enter your mind and your heart you became the very thing that you were sworn to destroy. You have failed everyone that you have ever loved."

Qui-gon tore away once more, unable to listen to the arguments that strained against him. the last things that he heard were the crying pain of a misguided young man, and him crying out to his master. "I hate you." he couldn't bare it. Leaving the mid of the young boy, he quietly left the room, feeling partly sorrowful at what he had seen.

_'Was it a vision though'_ Qui-gon thought to himself, meditating on what he had seen. _'Or was it a dream. Could it have been real?'_

He rescinded that last thought quickly. It was physically impossible, and no one had ever tried it before. It can't happen. As he stepped outside of the room he took in a deep breath, thinking on what he had seen. He shook his head in contemplation. Next to him though he heard the door open once more, and as he turned he saw the sandy haired youth staring at him. At the sound of his voice his mother came to him, and clutched him tightly. Behind her, Padme and Jar Jar watched in astonishment as the boy and his mother embraced. But the boy only had eyes for the Jedi Master, and as Qui-gon looked back, there were only a few words escaping from his mouth.

"What happened?"

* * *

The sleek ship passed through the times of space, rounding on the desert planet before it. It was the projected course on the ships navcomp and had been programmed in by the Dark lord himself. This ship was built personally for the Sith to use, and everything within it as well. Maul himself had made some modifications to it, and Sidious had let him do so. After all, it was his ship.

It slipped unnoticed between the masses of cliffs, mesas and valleys of the planet, masking itself from the naked eye. The attention that it attracted was little if any at all, mainly because of the limited air traffic that resounded fro the planet. There were hardly any main settlements at all on this planet, and that suited his purpose well as he could slip in and out without even being noticed. The less sparsely populated the better, although that had several problems with it as well.

The vessel slowed as it approached a large mesa, and landing atop of it, the dust cloaked its landing, masking the ship in a giant ball of dust and sand. Maul felt the jolt within the ship, and as he rocked with the ship he silently turned off the engines and waited for the dust to settle before he sent his transmission. He waited only a moment, and pressed the communication button before him. a small holographic projection lit up all of a sudden, illuminating itself before the Dark Lord. The cloaked figure stared at his apprentice, masked by the large cowl atop of his head.

Maul bowed to the projection, greeting him courteously with his silence. The master made an tenuous nod in return, "You have landed on Tatooine then, my apprentice." he said in his chilling, distinctive tone of voice which had enmity present within it, as well as the pleasure that his apprentice was ready for the challenge to come to him. "You have done well. I would have never expected this of you."

Maul immediately was taken aback. He had always though highly of his master, but that he didn't expect this from him was different, perhaps Sidious didn't think that Maul was up for it in some way. Maul started for a minute, but though better of it, and replied in a courteous manner.

"Yes master," Malu began, continuing. "if the trace was correct, then Tatooine was the place that they landed, if not, then they will be lost to us until we can find another location and trace."

"They will be there, my apprentice," his master commanded him suddenly. "Clear your mind, focus in on them, and you will find them. You will be before them soon."

"Tatooine is sparsely populated master, perhaps..." Maul started, but was cut off by Sidious speaking.

"That may be, my apprentice, but they are there, and you will find them. The Queen is of our utter priority. That treaty must be signed." He curtly added in the end. He was annoyed by her defiance, he had expected it, but not to this limit. The Jedi were in the way. "Move against the Jedi first, you will then have no difficulty taking the Queen back to Naboo, where she **_will_** sign the treaty."

"She is defiant," Maul stated calmly. "What if she refuses?"

"She **_will_** sign that treaty. I will be sure of that." Sidious stated with anger in his voice, he was clearly annoyed by her. "Queen Amidala is young and naïve, she should be easy to manipulate with your skills. This turn of events is unfortunate, but it is not fatal. We shall now reveal ourselves to the Jedi," Maul smiled at that remark, but kept it hidden, "You have been well trained, my young apprentice, they will be no match for you, you are indeed strong."

"What if they attempt to stop us?" Maul questioned, bringing his eyes up to his masters appearance. Surprisingly he wasn't that annoyed at that statement. He saw Sidious' figure merely fidget, and then mouth off at him.

"It is too late for them to stop us now," his master began, his thoughts computing everything. "Everything is going as planned. The Republic will soon be in my command. You will do well, my young apprentice."

"Thank you, master." Maul replied, motioning his hand towards the button before him.

He hit the button hard on the console, shutting off his communication to his master. Finding the Jedi would be hard in this densely populated planet. The settlements were few, and their people were even fewer. Some of the settlements though had more people than they could afford to have within it. Why his master had sent him here he would never fully know. Perhaps it was to finally reveal who the Sith were, and that they were still around after their long absence. It was true that he would be no match for both of the Jedi, but if he was able to fight them alone, and one on one he would have the advantage.

"They will be no match for you." his master had said, yet he knew him to be wrong. There was a feeling of foreboding ill will within him, impending doom some might say. For once in his life he knew his master to be wrong. Swiftly he turned and made his way to the other end of the ship, to the smaller and more private control console. Pressing the button on the side of the door he entered the room, the door sliding shut behind him. Lord Sidious had given him this as his private ship many years ago, and he had made many modifications to it himself, and this room was just one of them. Making his way to the controls, he twisted the frequency dial then pressed one of the red buttons. Immediately before him a large figure appeared, cloaked and hidden beneath the dark raiment, the only visible part of its face was its tentacle type beard and eyebrows. It wore a number of sashes around its head to keep the clothing on. It stood opposite Maul, and nodded its head in recognition.

Maul followed in suit, bowing low and adhering to the creatures will. "What is your will, my Jen'ari." He asked in his quiet tone, making eye contact with the figure before him.

The figure spoke out, its basic was harsh and thick, but Maul was able to understand it. It was not that attractive to the bare ear, but what was hidden within the language stayed there. It was only at some parts of the language that it was soothing enough to hear. "Have you reached Tatooine yet, Lord Maul."

"Yes, Jen'ari," Maul spoke out, bowing his head. "I have not failed you. Lord Sidious believe that I am searching for the Queen, he is currently unaware that I am working for you."

"Excellent." The figure seemed pleased. There was a momentous pause before he continued. "There will be a boy among the Jidai, I have need of you to capture him."

At this Maul raised his head, and looked into the white eyes of the figure before him. "My Lord, what does the boy possess that you are in need of?"

The cloaked figure smiled suddenly, and straightened itself. "He is the salvation of the Sith." He replied, making Maul bow his head once more. "For too long have we sat in the sidelines, waiting and watching to appear. Waiting for the time that is right to bring forth the coming of our people into the world once more. We have lived in exile for too long; it is now time for our people to emerge, we are strong enough now, Darth Bane and Lord Revan made sure of that when they found us."

"What of the apparent Exile?" the Sith Lord asked.

"Both her and Revan paid for their insolence against us," the figure sneered. He was angered by that comment. "They had desired to wipe us out, but we prevailed over them. We proved too strong for them to counter us. We are the True Sith, we cannot be destroyed easily."

Maul smiled as he heard this. He was sure that the figure before him was full of himself, although he had never heard of anyone else besides him and Sidious being the Sith, yet he was sure that there were many around that wanted the title badly. Maul breathed in heavily and started. "The boy, my lord?" he asked.

The figure smiled once again. "Yes," he praised his plan silently. "The boy."

"And the Jedi?" the Dark Lord asked, his voice full of anticipated reaction.

"I can sense your anticipation to fight them," the apparent Sith began. "Very well, you are authorized to get the boy at whatever means necessary. He is the key to our salvation. After you have the boy, contact me. If you succeed you will be welcomed into our ranks, the boy is important to us, he will lead us to glory once more. You will be rewarded for your services."

"Yes, my master." Maul replied, and sat were he was in his firm position, hearing the hologram phase out and disappear. The Dark Lord remained where he was for a moment, but eventually rose from his kneeling position. His 'new' master had spoken, and he would obey. It would not be wise to anger a Sith Lord. He had no intention of letting a youthful boy get the better of him, he would have what his master desired, but he would not be unprepared. Even the true power of the Dark Side would not be the end of him.

Pushing the door open, he stormed off down the corridor, making his way to the outside of the ship. Placing himself on one of the many canyon cliff tops, he studied the settlements before him. It was nearing night, and the settlements were just turning their lights on, maintaining power as to illuminate their cities. As he scanned the horizion with him binoculars, he scoped the area, studying between the cities. Apart from what he knew, which was that he had landed just north of the Jedi position, he kept his eyes on the nearest town before him.

Out of the three cities before him he knew which one the Jedi were on. He had work to do. He got out a small little metallic armband, and pushing the button on it, he stood silent and waited. Immediately, six large metallic probe droids appeared from within the ship, and closing in on Maul, he downloaded the information into their advanced sensors and communications. After he had finished downloading the information, he watched the probes speed off into the distance, each one taking a settlement for himself.

Maul remained solitary on the cliff, and silently smiled to himself as he wondered what his master, Darth Sidious, would think of his betrayal.

* * *

Anakin was sitting quietly on the balcony, overlooking the cit of Mos Espa. He had forgotten everything that he had done or witnessed earlier that day. It was night now and he was looking quietly into the stars, watching as they came out and illuminated the sky. He began to remember all of the star systems that he had visited, and everything that he had remembered of his former life. Everything that he had seen and done as a Jedi and Sith was related to those stars. He smiled as he fumbled about, watching as he them sparkle, and hope that he would be able to do the same things again.

Seated near to him, the Jedi Master, Qui-gon Jinn was tending to a cut that Anakin had received when he had awoken from his dream like state. Although his mother was wary of her son mingling with the Jedi Master, she was well aware the he could control Anakin, and partly sanctioned it. Anakin was pleased by the suggestion, and quickly went out with Qui-gon. Anakin partly fidgeted as he looked into the sky, and as Qui-gon looked at him, he too as well stared into the night sky.

Qui-gon smiled, and continued to make reparations on the cut. "Most of those stars have a solar system around them, you know?"

Anakin seemed impressed with the Jedi. The Vader side disappeared for a moment, and Anakin appeared again. "Really?" he replied, "All of them."

Qui-gon stared again into the sky as Anakin motioned to them. "Not likely." Qui-gon uttered quietly, smiling.

Anakin suddenly became excited at the prospect. "I want to be the first one to see them all." He could feel the pain with the needle going into his skin. "Ow," he commented suddenly. He hadn't expected it to be so hurtful. "What are you doing?" Anakin asked as he noticed Qui-gon wipe the surface of the cut and place a drop of it in a small disc like object. He seemed intrigued by this object.

The Jedi barely looked up, but smiled thoughtfully as he was reminded of the curiosity of youth. Qui-gon did love children, and it was a pit that the Jedi didn't allow it, or else he would have had some. He smiled as he stared at Anakin. There was something about him that made him fell…well…grand. Happy. No that wasn't the word. Perhaps, fulfilled.

"Ani." His mother yelled from inside the house. Anakin tuned into that and faced the doorway where his mother appeared to him. "Ani, I need to talk to you." she motioned with her head and opened one of the many doors that led to a small room.

Anakin, seeing this, eyed the Jedi Master, and slipped off the bench and entered into room, followed by his mother. Qui-gon merely stared after the boy, and watched as they disappeared. He nodded silently, but waited for a moment, to make sure that he was alone. After he was sure, he connected the small disc to the transponder and began to speak into it.

"Obi-Wan," he asked. "Are you there?"

For a moment there was no response, and the lateness of the hour did nothing to ease the temperament of the late hour. Finally though there was a response. "Yes, Master." replied the always alert Obi-wan.

Qui-gon sighed. "I need an analysis of this blood sample that I am sending you," he paused for a moment. "And I need an midi-chlorian count."

Here was a slight pause on the other end as Obi-wan went silent. He finally returned and spoke up to his master. "Send the sample; you will have your answer in a moment." Qui-gon's heart was beating quick as he sent the sample. He hoped that he was right. In the other room, Anakin was transparently listening in, and heard everything that was being said. He had not yet heard his midi-chlorian count at all.

Obi-wan momentarily returned. "The reading is off the chart master." he paused. "There must be something wrong with the instruments, no one could have a midi-chlorian count this high."

Anakin was hopeful as he listened in. Qui-gon huffed to himself, and paused for a moment. He took in a deep breath and replied to his padawan. "How much, Obi-wan?" he persisted.

There was another pause, but the reply was consistent. "It's at twenty thousand at the moment," Qui-gon nodded. Then there was another reply. "No, wait…" Qui-gon waited impatiently, and Anakin huddled behind his door. His mother Shmi waited at the entrance to the balcony and the house.

"Obi-wan?" Qui-gon motioned.

"It's off the chart master. Higher than before, it's over thirty thousand and it's still spiking higher." He paused again. "Even Master Yoda doesn't have a midi-chlorian count that high! Here has to be something wrong with the equipment, it doesn't make any sense."

"I don't think that it's wrong, Obi-wan." Qui-gon motioned, he was sure that he was right. He may be just a little too cautious. "No Jedi has a reading that high. It should be impossible, but as evidenced by the Force emanations, there is no doubt as to his power."

There was a silent pause on the receiver. "What does it mean?"

"I'm not sure," the Jedi Master replied. "But either way, we are in serious trouble."

"Master?" Obi-wan questioned, his tone worrying.

"Nothing Obi-wan." He paused. "Nothing." He looked up and saw Shmi standing in the doorway, staring at him. As their eyes met, it seemed that the events of the future had just been revealed to him. Like the vision he saw when he entered Anakin's mind, he knew that there was a dark path before him. But he also knew that Anakin was the Chosen One. He had to be. The boy was special, and as they had discussed with his mother earlier, she had agreed. There was something about Anakin that made him pure. Unique even.

Qui-gon looked away in thought. Yet when he stared back at the doorway again, Shmi was gone, as was his hope, it seemed.

* * *

Please Review. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Maul

Disclaimer: The Phantom Menace novelization will be used throughout this story. My apologies to Terry Brooks for this breach of conduct, and to Lucas Arts.

* * *

The life of Anakin Skywalker couldn't possibly get any worse.

It had been going on for about an hour now. A non-stop argument between Jedi Master Qui-gon Jinn, and the Toydarin shop owner Watto. Their tempers were flaring and their words were strong. And for the first time in feeling the anger of other people, Anakin didn't want to feed off of it, and absorb it into him; he just wanted it to stop, as he hated listening to it. He hated the arguing.

First things first though, this was not that bad for Anakin. To begin with, Anakin had actually absorbed the persona of Darth Vader somehow, and although he was enjoying the power that he shared with that individual, it was quite overbearing. But he loved what he had felt though. besides this though, he had accumulated a Force power stronger than his originally was, and that was something intriguing in itself. Next thing though, his friends began to fear him and what he might do with these new powers. Truth be told, he did enjoy using them over a number of weak minded people in his gang, and especially in the streets.

Apart from his friends shunning him, he was often bullied by the adults, and then again, almost everybody had treated him with some sort of respect since he had almost killed Sebulba the other day. They were fearful to cross him, except Watto.

Watto it seemed was furious at what Anakin did. Sebulba was not only a customer, but also his best friend and a gambling buddy. They did a number of things together and now that might not happen, although Qui-gon had explained that the Dug would be alright, Watto was still not pleased. The first thing that he had done to Anakin was scorn him for his lack of conduct with dealing with Sebulba, and especially that he was a Dug, he was a marked man now, and would be stalked by them until revenge for Sebulba would be complete.

But Anakin didn't mind that at all. In fact, he was rather up for the challenge. If they wanted to come and get him, then they should try, after all, he could sense them, and they would be dealt with. He knew above all that his powers would grow, becoming greater and more powerful. And he couldn't wait until then. He had even begun formulating his own plan in his head, and taking care of Marcellus and his group was only a small phase in his plan.

Even as Anakin thought about the past few days, the heated argument of the Jedi Master and the Toydarin was getting louder, and would not be resolved soon. Anakin sighed as this went on, and finally made his way outside and sat on the ground next to Padme, whom he eyes suspiciously. Even from the outside the argument was loud.

"Why can't I take him?" Qui-gon roared suddenly, "he has already done some damage to the local populace, and he has a power in the Force which I can't ignore."

Watto seemed flustered after all of this arguing, but he was determined not to just let the boy go. "I do not care, he is useful to me, and whether he has some power or not, he is not going anywhere." He eyed the boy all of a sudden, "after all, he may be able to help me with those people who owe me…"

The Jedi Master harshly grabbed the Toydaring by the coat and shook him hard. Anakin could feel the anger rising off of him, and began to smile. "You would use him for your own personal gain." Qui-gon roared at him, displeased with the Toydarin's decision. "What type of idiot are you. Anakin's talents would go to waste with you and your scheming."

"It matters not." Watto fired back. "I will not let my best slave go just because he has some power. Besides, it will take a lot more than begging to make me release Anakin into your custody."

The Toydarin's left eye then lifted into the air, and Qui-gon thought that he was hinting at something. He shook his head, and then sat down on one of the benches. For all of their intelligence and wisdom, Qui-gon didn't understand what the Toydarin meant. Anakin though understood and stood up and yelled into the building.

"He wants you to make a bet with me Qui-gon," he yelled, his voice clear. "So wither bet on me, or buy me."

There was a moment's silence, which was quickly followed by a flapping of wings and a loud set of footsteps. Watto fluttered into view with the elderly form of Qui-gon Jinn following closely behind. As they paused before Anakin, Watto leaned in and stared him in the eyes. He began to roar loudly at the boy.

"You shut up," he began, and silenced his tone a little as he felt both Anakin and the Jedi stiffen. "I did not ask for your matter of opinion. Your fate will be mine to decide, not yours."

Qui-gon stiffened again, and gawked his head at the Toydarin. "I disagree, Watto," he exclaimed, making Watto turn around slowly to face him. The Jedi stood proudly. "I think that it is my decision on Anakin's fate."

Watto's eyebrows flickered for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"Now please, be reasonable." Qui-gon began, sighing as he motioned forward; he knew he was going to regret what he was going to say as he knew that Jedi did not do this sort of thing. But then again, he could just release him afterwards. "I will offer you twice what he is worth."

There was silence for a moment, as all eyes peered at Qui-gon, even Padme couldn't believe what she had just head the Jedi say, or what a Jedi had said. A Jedi! He had offered to by the boy. Watto smiled suddenly, licking his lips in a decision. "But what if your Jedi decide not to have Anakin, how could he come back here?"

"They will have him," Qui-gon uttered, assured that he was correct that Anakin was the Chosen One. "I know that they will."

"But what if they don't accept him?" Watto inquired.

Qui-gon stiffened as he didn't want to think about that at all. But it was something that he had to think of. "Then he could come back here, and work for you. But if the Jedi do take him, I will compensate you with same slaves, though it be against my will." He stared at Watto for a moment, and saw the decision making process in his eyes go through. "Either way, you win."

Watto stood up proudly, erect in his position. He only took a moment, but a number of slaves for a slave was a good deal. He nodded to himself first, then to the man before him. He was sure bold. "Done," Watto exclaimed as he replied without a second's hesitation. "but I want what he is double worth."

"Then I want the parts to my hyperdrive as well." Qui-gon firmly stated as Watto nodded in compliance. He was aware that the Jedi Master would probable ruin him.

Qui-gon smiled as he nodded, reluctantly. Anakin stood motionless and erect as he saw Qui-gon and Watto slap each other's palm to seal the deal. Although Anakin was partly dazed, he saw the Jedi Master give Watto the money, signifying that he had bought Anakin. There was some exchange of a small transmitter box that would allow the Qui-gon to take Anakin wherever he wanted without setting off his slave implant. "I will send for my things by the end of the day." Qui-gon commanded as he left the shop. As Qui-gon turned, he beckoned Anakin to come to him, a large smile on his face; though the boy was sure that Qui-gon was putting it on for show.

"Come, Anakin," he said as he ran out of the shop, forcing Anakin and the others to run to catch up. Padme had a number of issues on the tip of her tongue, yet Qui-gon silenced her with an icy glare. They had barely gone far when they stopped around the corner, near the main road. They waited for a moment before Jar Jar and Artoo showed up. The Jedi Master sighed as he looked at Padme. "I know it was wrong, but it was the only way that I could get him." he suggested wryly.

"Do you think that it was wise then," Padme motioned for herself, making Anakin marvel, and the Vader side fall at ease. This was how he remembered her. "Do you think that it was wise to place all of our trust into this ten year old boy?"

"I'm nine actually." Anakin jumped in, hoping to stifle a few laughs, but was unsuccessful. They merely stared at him, their glaring expressions silencing any quick remarks of any kind.

Qui-gon stood firmly looking at Padme. "What I decide has nothing to do with you, my lady. I suggest that you remember that in the future." She was about to reply to that but Qui-gon silenced her. "I need you to go back to the ship, and tell the Queen that I will be back with the gear by the end of the day. Everything has been organized."

"I will not…" Padme started by was cut off by another glare.

"DO it." Qui-gon motioned. He then turned to Anakin. "Anakin and I are going to his place to gather a few things. We should be at the ship soon after everything has been completed and installed."

"Then who is going with me to the ship?" the girl inquired all of a sudden, fear escalating in her voice. Qui-gon smiled.

"Jar Jar and Artoo of course." He exclaimed, leaving quickly as Padme stood, gawking at his back.

"That is not reassuring." She yelled.

* * *

The sun was glaring down on the high desert mesa within the centre of the desert. Atop of it a figure imposed in black stood near his ship, carefully waiting and watching for one of his prove droids to return. He was calm and erect, yet he could hardly hinder the excitement of facing off against two Jedi. It would happen soon, and he knew it, yet he would have to wait patiently until the opportune moment.

Behind him was the massive sleek ship of the Sith Lord, it remained in its place, gleaming off the sun and hypnotizing all those people who stared at it in a strange way. On the other side of the mesa, carefully placed near the peak of the cliff sat Maul's own personal Sith speeder. The vehicle was unarmed since the Sith Lord preferred to use the _Bloodfin_ to pursue enemies and deal with them once having caught up with them. The vehicle's curved seat allowed the user to leap from the vehicle by just rocking forward, allowing him to enter into combat immediately and take his enemy by surprise.

As he stared silently at his prized possession he almost missed the coming of one of his many probe droids, climbing the cliff suddenly. As it neared the Dark Lord it beeped and whistled to him, getting his attention. Maul turned to face it and as the information was given, he nodded silently and carefully placed himself n his swoop bike.

He smiled as he sat on his own designed and modified vehicle. He would finally have the chance to get the Jedi and the Queen, and if needs be, to get at the boy. The Sith had told him in his last message that Sidious had been sending Maul to Tatooine because it would most likely get him killed, and the reason that he was to be sent against the Jedi first was because of Anakin Skywalker.

Anakin Skywalker. That stung in his throat for some reason. He was wanted by both The Sith and Sidious himself, and he didn't know why. Maul didn't know everything yet, but as he started up his speeder bike, he carefully wished that he did.

* * *

Anakin was walking in a slow pace away from everything that he knew. It was a large step for him, and it would take him into a wider world. Making sure that his shields were up, so that the Jedi couldn't read his mind, he tapped into the memories that Vader had implanted into him. Although Vader was apart of him, somehow the spirits had come to some agreement that they would be dormant at separate times until either the Jedi or Sith got to him first.

As he entered into the deep recesses of his mind he faltered in his footsteps, watching as the memories of leaving his mother surfaced before him. He looked back at his mother, and stared at the sorrowful face that was before him. there was apart of him, like those memories, that didn't want to go away, as his home was Tatooine, yet he was free now, for Qui-gon had freed him before his mother.

This was still though the worst thing that he would ever do in his life. Already the hurt was appearing, and becoming evident as he felt Qui-gon turn and stare back at Anakin.

The young boy sighed to himself, breathing in, wanting to be sure of himself. He played the memory one last time of him leaving his mother, even as he remembered it, it made him cry. His mother though knew that Anakin was a strong person, and that he would pull through. He entered the deep recesses of his mind to be rid of the memory, for he didn't want to see it anymore; he knew where his destiny lay, and he would follow it.

_He saw his mother in the doorway, her sad drooping face, full of sorrow and pain at her son leaving. He loved his mother dearly, and couldn't take being away from her. One last look at Qui-gon, he nods silently to himself, and then returns to his mother. He couldn't do it, it wasn't apart of him to do so. He shook his head as he saw his mother leaned down and approach him._

_"I can't do it, Mom," he sorrowfully exclaimed as tears welled in his eyes, he couldn't take it. "I just can't."_

_His mother hugged him hard, and sorrowfully kissed him on the forehead. She saw Qui-gon looking at her from the distance, eager to know his decision, though it already seemed that he knew what it was. He had waited for this day for so long, both of them. For the Jedi to find the Chosen One, and for Anakin to be free, and to even, perhaps, become a Jedi._

_She drew away from the Jedi Master, and stared into Anakin's eyes. Anakin was crying, and his mother spoke casually to him, emotion present in her voice. "I know how strong you are, Annie," she smiled. "I know you can do this."_

_Anakin partly smiled, his confidence welling up. His mother always bought out the best of him. He sorrowfully put in. "Will I ever see you again?"_

_His mother sighed, and stared at him, cocking her head to the side. "What does your heart tell you?"_

"_I hope so," Anakin replied. "Yes." He confidently added. I will become a Jedi and I will come back and free you, I promise._

_His mother smiled suddenly, aware of his destiny. "I know that you will Anakin, but this is a path that you must tread alone; you and you alone are responsible for your destiny. I cannot help you any longer." She paused for a moment, and stared at Qui-gon who was becoming desperate. "But I believe that we will see each other again. My love will always be with you. Now, be brave, and don't look back."_

_Anakin smiled as his mother returned with another quick smile of her own; though full of sadness and grief. "Don't look back."_

Tearing away from the vision, Anakin was aware that he was still staring at his mother. He smiled as he saw her, and quickly blew a kiss towards her, and as he placed her hand to her heart, she smiled once more.

"I love you mom," Anakin exclaimed as he yelled back to her. "And I always will."

_**Minutes later – The Ship**_

Qui-gon had taken the boy quickly out of the Mos Espa spaceport. Something wasn't right, and he just felt that there was something amiss. He had to make sure that Anakin got off this planet as he felt that the Force was after him. he didn't know how, or when, but he knew that the boy was the reason that the Force was acting strangely.

It was grateful that Anakin knew the way out of Mos Espa like the back of his hand, or else the Jedi Master would have gotten lost. He had made sure that he had hurried the pace up, and moved Anakin quicker and faster towards their ship. All the while his eyes were searching, both the landscape of Tatooine and the landscape of the Force, mingling together to form something as unique as a planet like this. It was strange though; the Force was telling him something wasn't right. He had passed Anakin some time ago and made him catch up as sure as he could be. It was hard for a boy who was nine years old to catch up to a fifty, nearing sixty, year old man.

As they neared the ship, Qui-gon was suddenly aware of a shift in the Force, as if something was following him. He turned sharply and stared into the distance, peering through the incessant cries of the young boy. His eyes averted suddenly, closing in on the figure that approached from behind Anakin. within seconds he knew something was not right by a figure cloaked in black on Tatooine.

"Anakin," Qui-gon yelled out loud to the boy, hoping that he would hear him. "Drop!"

It took less than a second for Anakin to register what he had just said, and immediately hit the ground, eating the sand that brushed up in his face. Even as he did so a dark cloaked figure on a speeder brushed over him, barely missing him as it brushed down on Qui-gon. Anakin peered up and saw the figure leap out of his seat, making a quick exit, and making a parry at the Jedi Master.

For a moment Anakin faltered where he sat. He hadn't felt the imposing dark figure bearing down on him. It was strange, with his unique abilities; he should have been able to feel him. Maybe it was because Anakin was the dominant part at the moment. He immediately tapped into his Vader side, and peered at the dark figure, feeling the hate and anger emanating from him. It would have blown Anakin away had he not have more anger put together.

As their blades met in an astounding display of swords mastery, Anakin lay down staring at them fighting, as if he were stunned. Strike and parry delivered by each combatant was disabled by the enemy, but the fighting continued. The Jedi Master blocked the attack quickly, and motioned for Anakin to get up. "Get to the ship!" he yelled at him. "Tell them to take off. Go now."

Maul noticed this and quickly attacked the Jedi Master as Anakin motivated himself to get up and head to the ship. Qui-gon tried to attack the cloaked figure with a powerful blow, but it backfired as the figure was able to parry it away with a swift strike, making the Jedi fall to the ground. Maul smiled as he fell, and quickly went after the boy. As he rounded the corner of the ship, entering the ramp and into he bowels of the ship, Maul followed him.

Anakin ran into the main hallway of the ship, immediately darting into a room where he saw Padme and Captain Panaka quietly working and discussing their plan of action. Anakin came up to the table and yelled into the captain ear. He barely noticed Padme look up at him and smile. He pleaded at them for a moment, catching his breathe. "Qui-Gon's in trouble. He says to take off." Panaka looked up with a confused look on his face. "Now!" Anakin motioned.

The captain made a smug look at the boy. His eyes were questioning and suspicious. "Who are you?"

Anakin could feel Padme about to reply when she began to scream as the dark figure entered the room. Panaka immediately pulled out his laser and fired a shot, which was deflected by the blade into his shoulder. Maul sneered once more, and Force pushed the Queen out of the way as she came to try and screen Anakin. Anakin fell to the floor as Padme hit the wall, and a gloved hand came in and reached him. Maul smiled once more.

"You're coming with me." He exclaimed silently, wanting the boy to listen to him. It was only there for a moment, but Maul swore that he felt the power of hate and anger rushing through his veins. His eyes lit up as he focused in on it, not noticing that another Jedi was behind him, releasing his saber and igniting it.

Maul turned suddenly and met the parried attack head on, blocking it and pushing the young padawan away. As he hit the wall on the outside of the room, Qui-gon simultaneously entered and engaged the dark figure once more, pushing him out side of the room and into the hallway. Qui-gon dutifully stepped and moved into a defensive position, as was the way of the Jedi.

Maul smiled, as he expected this from the Jedi. He stood his ground firmly and stared into the Jedi's eyes, reading them carefully. Although this staring contest made them forget all else, they both noticed Anakin and Obi-wan move, and stir from their places. Qui-gon saw Obi-wan place his hand to his head, and quickly send a mental image to him. They would attempt to attack him from both sides. There was no way that he could handle two attackers at once. The dark figure laughed as he felt the message being sent through the Jedi bond. He could understand them, and was able to hack into their minds to get it as well. As obi-wan stood once more, and lit his saber, the real fight could begin.

Standing either side of the cloaked figure, the two Jedi stood ready for their combatant to make the first move. For a while their just stood there, studying each other. Qui-gon had an initial thought register in his mind. He wondered briefly if this man was Jedi, or maybe one of those trained by one of the Lost Twenty. Wonders would never cease to amaze the Jedi Order. As he gazed into those yellow eyes, he thought he should try to speak to this creature, to find out more about their pursuers, and perhaps who hired him, but as he stared into them, reading them carefully, radiating off all of the hate, anger and fear, he knew that there would be no talk.

Maul smiled, and made his attack at the Jedi Master before him, clashing their blades together before attacking behind him and attacking Obi-wan. All three of them equaled each other in strength. Qui-gon, the Jedi Master, and an expert in the Living Force. Obi-wan, young and fit, and deadly. And the figure before them, Darth Maul, Dark Lord of the Sith, trained from youth to strike fear into people. He was a weapon of fear, so deadly, and coolly lethal. His power alone could squash the two Jedi. There was nothing but pure evil that seemed to just radiate off of him.

They continued their averaging strikes against their attacker, closing in on him from both sides, but he was more than a match from them like that. He had power enough to counter all of their assaults. He parried his blade, only to be counter attacked by two saber blades, green and blue. He knew he was outgunned in this small space, so as he retreated to the door, he flipped outside, and the Jedi chased him. Obi-wan made a parrying strike to his legs as he flipped, missing him by inches. They made their way slowly down the ramp, to meet the Dark Lord where he had landed, and as they neared him, they paused, feeling a ripple flow through them. As they saw Maul smile, they knew that something was going to change.

The Dark lord stared at his attackers, and smiling, he flipped the lightsaber in his hands, spinning it, and turning wildly he revealed his other side. Flowing out of the other end of the saber was another blade that had just ignited, making the Jedi stare at their opponent. They had not been trained to fight against that type of blade as it had not been seen in over a millennium. Darth Maul sneered at their faces, and came forward to meet them, spinning his blade as he went.

The Sith Lord advanced, attacking Qui-gon with all of his strength, while parrying the attack from Obi-wan, who had leaped over the Sith, and attacked him from behind. He met both blades at once, using their power to advance his own. He blocked and parried, striking back against them. The Sith Lord had been well trained, and had great skill. Although he was on the defensive, he was defeating them with ease.

The Jedi worked together, allowing their connection through the Force to guide their actions. They attacked without words, or signs, merely used the Force. Obi-Wan unleashed a series of attacks from behind, only to be blocked each time. He did realise though that the Sith Lord could confidently take both of them on, but he was trying to divide them up, so that he could kill them with a better chance. Obi-wan noticed immediately that he was only after Qui-gon.

Quickly the Sith Lord forced the Jedi Master away, and began to spin his energies around on the younger Jedi. Obi-wan saw the smile as the Sith Lord blocked his attack, and moved against him. The Jedi padawan was alone in this fight, and he would have to carry on by himself. The Sith spun in the air, flipping with ease and exuberance. He sneered again as he landed, and spun his saber around in his hands with ease. The Jedi advanced on the Sith Lord, determined not to be shut out of this fight. Spinning his saber in his hands, he attacked the Dark Lord before him, meeting his blade with a firm and vigilant attack. Suddenly, Qui-Gon was on Obi-wan's left, boosting his padawan's confidence even more. They attacked together, attempting to outmaneuver the Sith Lord.

But Maul was not to be guile, and he struck back with such audacity and strength that he beat the Jedi at their own game, attacking them. with a push of the Force, he proceeded to shove Obi-wan away from the fight, leaving him and Qui-gon together to do battle. Obi-wan slid along the floor, and hit the wall. As he stirred, he stared at his master and the devil fighting, and saw that the Jedi Master had met his match.

Qui-gon was getting tired; all of his strikes were being parried by the Dark Lord. One by one they failed to breach his defences. In a last ditch effort, he flipped over the Dark Lord and landed behind him. In a swift strike he cut his elbow, making him yell in pain. Obi-wan then made the strike against him, and threw his blade into his chest, sinking it in and cutting him off from the live world. The Sith Lord fell, and collapsed on the ground, disengaging his saber, falling a few feet from him.

The Jedi stared at the corpse as it lay on the ground. Qui-gon, stooping to lift up the saber, collected it and placed it on his belt next to his own, and then made way to the ship, Obi-wan following closely behind. As they made their way into the ship, they heard the engines rumble, and the ramp itself closed, liberating the exiled group away from the planet, making them head to Coruscant.

As Obi-wan sat, leaning against the wall, Qui-gon collapsed on the floor,breathing in heavily as they did so. Immediately, beside them, Anakin and one of the Queens guards came rushing in, checking to see if they were hurt in any way. They were out of breathe from that fight, but they lived to tell the tale. Anakin approached Qui-gon and stared into his eyes, his own eyes full of anticipation and worry. "Are you all right?" he asked with a concerned voice.

All Qui-gon could do was nod as he was still catching his breath. Obi-wan was looking wide eyed at the boy, watching him with suspicion and intent. He had seen the dark warrior attempt to grab him, as if he was holding something important for him. he would rouse his suspicions later to Qui-gon though, not wanting to let anything spoil the moment of the two Jedi lords praise in defeat of their enemy.

"What do your think it was?" Obi-wan asked with suspicion and wonder in his voice.

Qui-gon shook his head, as if in reply. "I don't know," he claimed loudly, watching his apprentice and the boy. "But he was well trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is he was after the Queen." His eyes trailed to the guard who stood before him. "Speaking of which, how is the Queen, and her handmaiden?"

"The Queen is watching over my lady Padme, and the Captain is stunned as well." The guard replied, he paused for a moment, finding his voice. Do you think he'll follow us?" the guard asked with a worried expression.

Qui-gon took in a deep breath. "We'll be safe enough once we're in hyperspace, but I have no doubt he knows our destination."

That didn't reassure the guard at all, as his expression became one of a worse look. Though he understood the Jedi's wisdom, he wasn't confident that they would be followed. He took in a deep breathe and stared at the Jedi. Slowly he made his way over to Obi-wan and helped him up.

Anakin then moaned in a concerned voice. "What are we going to do about it?" he was obviously scared and worried. He turned and looked at Obi-wan who was giving him a stern look, as if not trusting him at all. Anakin returned an innocent stare as Obi-wan looked suspicious. Qui-gon saw this and intervened quickly to get the tension out of the air.

"We will be patient," Qui-gon huffed, and seeing the stares between Anakin and Obi-wan he thought it prudent to introduce them. He read his apprentice's gaze. "Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Anakin and Obi-wan took each others hands and shook lightly. Anakin tried not to glare too much at the Jedi, as he knew that it was his old master. He smiled lightly, but with an excited voice. "You're a Jedi too?" he asked. "Pleased to meet you!"

Qui-gon breathed in heavily, and Obi-wan merely stared at the younger boy, watching him carefully as the boy gave Obi-wan a gleeful stare followed by a terrible scowl.

* * *

There is more to come. Please Review…… 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Coruscant

Disclaimer: The Phantom Menace novelization will be used throughout this story. My apologies to Terry Brooks for this breach of conduct, and to Lucas Arts. Most of the dialogue of this chapter is taken from the film and script, even the novelization. I apologize for any inconvenience.

* * *

They had been traveling through hyperspace for a while now, and, although time was yet hard to tell in a place that was yet enshrouded by night, they yet knew when it was time to sleep. Among the crew that refuse to sleep are a number of the pilots and guards, waiting for their shift change. They wander aimlessly through the decks of the ship, untouched and unscathed by anyone as they do their checks.

Among those who refuse to rest is Obi-wan Kenobi, who has yet been unable to get off the thoughts of that boy and his scowl that was aimed at him. he also wonders about the fact that the dark figure that attacked them, whom Qui-gon was already assuming was a Sith Lord, who was now dead, thanks to Obi-wan, was, in fact, after the boy. It was a feeling that Obi-wan couldn't yet get over. He was sure that he was after the boy, but yet Qui-gon had assumed that it was after the Queen.

The Jedi padawan silently got up and left his bunk, and walked through the door of his compartment to think. As he did so he noticed a small, lightly coloured, mainly red, was walking among the dimly lit hallways of the ship. It was lucky that he was disguised in the colours of the ship as he seemed to blend right in. he quietly followed the figure, and watching her rest on the bench, listening to a message from the governor. He had already warned them once about this type of transmission, and they were already not listening to them, them being the Jedi. He thought that he had better stop her when the young boy got in his way.

"What are you doing?" he asked with uncertainty in his voice. He stared at Obi-wan, and felt Padme suddenly turn and stare at the two as they conversed silently.

Anakin knew perfectly well what he was doing, Obi-wan was watching Padme to make sure that she didn't send any messages to her home. For all he cared actually, she could send a message as he knew that once again Darth Maul would appear and attempt to take him, and either train him as his apprentice, or else take him to Sidious. Anakin immediately became angered at that thought, and motioned for restraint of his anger before it came out of hand. Just to be before Palpatine again was a death threat for the Dark Lord. How he hated him so.

Obi-wan caught the anger, and knelt down before Anakin, placing his hands on his shoulders. "I was merely walking the corridors Anakin," he supplied a quick answer, watching as Padme approached. "I couldn't sleep, and it seems that I am not the only one."

Padme approached with a smile on her face, and looked at both of them. She shook her head in surprise by their aspiring attempts to coerce her, or what she thought they were doing. Obi-wan merely looked at her, and frowned. At no point did he intend that. As he was about to reply to her he saw her turn and face Anakin.

"Are you all right?" she asked him, concern in her voice.

"Anakin took a moment to reply. "I'm cold." He stated very slowly, bringing his arms up to his chest and the rug around him.

Padme smiled and went to the other side of the room, gathering up another cloak and then seating him down, and placing the rug on him. Obi-wan felt all of the feelings that the boy had for her suddenly reign clear. There was compassion beyond friendship. More love, something that Obi-wan had to properly feel yet. There was something like that between him and Siri, but now, there was nothing but their career within the Jedi.

He watched them closely for a moment, and then walked around the other side of Anakin, kneeling beside him. He began to rub his hands together. Padme spoke again. "You're from a warm planet, Ani. Too warm for my taste" She said as the blanket came over him. "Space is cold."

He turned and stared at Obi-wan and then back to Padme. He was hoping that Obi-wan could read his feeling clearly. He was going to make them clear from the start. "I'm not sure what's going to happen to me." He supplied in a weak voice. I don't know if I'll ever see you again."

He paused once more and pulled a small little triangular type object out of his pocket and presented it to Padme. Obi-wan was watching it intently and eyed it suspiciously. He felt Padme's emotions suddenly erupt in confusion. Or was it compassion?

Anakin continued. "I made this for you." he said weakly. "So you'd remember me. I carved it out of a japor snippet. It will bring you good fortune."

She held it in her hands for a moment, admiring it. She then stared at Anakin in surprise. Her face lifted to his with a smile. "It's beautiful," she began. "But I…"

"Anakin," Obi-wan suddenly thundered, interrupting both Anakin and Padme, and earning queer looks from them both. His eyes were embedded in his face, wide eyed and concerned. They were focused on one spot, concentrated on Anakin's jacket pocket. Obi-wan leaned and a grasped it carefully, dragging out a deep red, triangular type object, as large as half of Obi-wan hand. He stared at it for a moment, and began to mentally call to his master.

'_Master…' _he began, but received no reply.

He waited for a moment before he received the reply, getting threatened looks from Anakin, and a curious look from Padme.

'_What is it padawan?'_ Qui-gon answered back; obviously he had just woken up. Obi-wan sighed before he replied.

'_There is something here that you need to see.'_ He sent back. _'Now…'_

It was extremely strange, but as soon as had said that his master appeared around the corner, concern masking his face. It was evident that he was tired, as he seemed to have hardly slept. He came upon the three, all looking at Qui-gon with a look of confusion on their faces. Obi-wan stood up and presented what he had taken from Anakin, and placed it in his hands. The Jedi Master merely looked at it, and with a brief exchange of their Force mind speech, Qui-gon cut him off with a stern look.

He turned to Anakin next and stared at him carefully. He tried to word his phrase carefully. "Where did you get this, Anakin?"

Anakin looked a bit frightened. But the Jedi could sense that he was calm. He breathed in and spoke out. "It was in the shop," he said in a low voice. "I found it among some of the junk heaps of the yard. I don't know how it got there, but when I activated it, it began to talk in a strange language that I couldn't understand. The only word that I seemed to understand was 'Sith'."

Both Obi-wan and Qui-gon's eyes peaked at that statement. They didn't appear to be concerned, but Qui-gon began to draw conclusion between the dark assassin and the holocron. The Jedi Master sighed and then stared at Anakin.

"This is a Sith Holocron Anakin." Qui-gon pronounced. "It is used to record information about the Sith onto it. I can only assume that the assassin had heard that you had it on you, and wanted to get it back from you." he paused and turned to Obi-wan, then back to Anakin. "As Obi-wan explained it did seem to go for you right away."

"It could have been a Dark Jedi Master, we mustn't draw conclusions yet." Obi-wan said carefully.

Qui-gon turned to Obi-wan, and stared at him. "I agree Obi-wan. We shall present this to the Council upon our return and," he stared at Anakin, and Obi-wan followed his gaze. "And you shall be accompanying us, young Anakin."

Anakin merely stared up at the two Jedi. He didn't know if he was meant to be afraid, or excited.

* * *

The Nubian Royal Starship passed unnoticed between the masses of skyscrapers of the Republic capital, attracting as little attention as possible from the onlookers of the many walkways and highways of the city. No one whatsoever would care about a Queen who came from Naboo in the least. As far as they were concerned, it was just another diplomat to add something else to their list of problems.

Ric Olie was sitting at the front of the cabin, teaching Anakin the controls and introducing the young boy to the masses of the city before them. He quickly explained that it was one giant city, emanating in a huge gasp of surprise from Anakin as he had never seen something this large before. Anakin though had masked his Vader side well as he still had to be seen as if he was a nine year old boy with a great talent with the Force. He loved Coruscant, and just being back in the past again meant that he would have to get used to his limitations.

The endless cityscape of skyscrapers dominated the cities surface. Little by little the planet had been dominated by infrastructure, and more and more it had encompassed to become higher and higher into the atmosphere where the oxygen thinned somewhat. Surprisingly, there were still some main levels of the city, flat and bare, and placed with only a few buildings on top. This was like the Jedi Temple, the Senate Rotunda and the Senatorial Offices as well.

The small silver spacecraft glided through the city, making its way to where the senator of Naboo, Palpatine awaited them. eventually they came over the top of him, and in his usual prone stance, he merely watched them, and studied them carefully. He seemed somewhat surprised, yet bored, or even impassive that Amidala was here. He was able to hide it though as the ship came into view, and landed on the landing pad that was floating above the city.

Anakin Skywalker watched gleefully all of the city skyscrapers as they suddenly came to a halt, and then a jolt as the ship landed on the platform. He turned slowly and saw that the Queen was waiting in the main corridor of the ship with her retinue of handmaidens and guards surrounding her. He saw her nod at Qui-gon, indicating that he should lead the way, not wanting to act on procession and announce herself first. Anakin scanned her mind and noticed that she wanted to be introduced after the Jedi had had their talk with the Chancellor. Giving Padme a quick smile, Anakin followed closely on the heels of the Jedi Master as he descended the ramp, entering onto the platform.

Amazingly, when the hatch opened, Anakin kept his eyes on the Jedi Master who stood before him. He was ashamed to look around, not wanting to see that grandeur that was Coruscant around him in fear that he might walk off the platform and fall to his death. As he descended, he stared straight ahead, keeping behind Qui-gon at all times. As he stared he noticed two figures cloaked in dark colours on the end of the platform. They were surrounded by thickly coloured dark blue armed guards.

When Anakin saw who the welcoming party consisted of, he froze. Anakin seemed unashamed all of a sudden as he came face to face with the man who had played him all of his life. In his head he hissed to himself, '_Palpatine'_, a cold, sickening anger twisting in his gut. He narrowed his eyes as he came closer to the man who stood prepared to meet them with a ready smile. He was gleeful at best, but Anakin could see right through him, and the façade that he was using against the Jedi.

Anakin studied him for a moment, and dipped into his memories, swaying as he did so. He made himself look afraid on the outside as he closed his eyes hard, pretending that he was afraid of the big city. He remembered Palpatine as he stood even now, dripping with wealth and success, making bold statements and planned revivals. He was decently clothed and had many others to go with it. With his title came the status of being popular. Besides this though, beneath this pompous exterior was a man who had a die hard hatred for the Jedi, and, supposedly, he was wearing a mask that was contrived upon by amounts of Sith Alchemy.

There was no doubt about the fact that what he wore came from Naboo, I mean, besides, why wouldn't you want to be dressed up in the best fabric, finely cut from the richest silk of Naboo that credits could furnish for a man of his stature. Palpatine studied everyone in a stern gaze, though cool as it was, especially as it seemed that he was sizing everyone up. They were all an odd group of assorted people. Nubian representatives, their guards, Jedi, Gunguns, and even a small boy from Tatooine whom Palpatine eyes came to rest on.

He smiled as he saw Anakin closing his eyes, in fact, he would have nearly laughed. He turned to Master Jinn who bowed before him. "Master Jinn, there seems to be something wrong with your boy," he stated calmly, hoping to not frighten the boy. But as Qui-gon looked at him, and Palpatine continued his incessant stare, Anakin's eyes awoke with an unprecedented amount of fury and anger, directly pointed at Palpatine.

Both of the Jedi seemed to stare at him, and felt the anger rising from him. Palpatine as well seemed a little unnerved by the boys state, but hid it well that he was Force sensitive. He settled his gaze on the young boy for a little longer than he should have, as the young boy was glaring at the senator. It took every shred of self-control that Anakin could muster not to grab a lightsaber from one of the Jedi and pounce on Palpatine, the man who had ruined his life, starting him down a dark path. It was as Yoda said, "Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." He fell into darkness because of him, and the Republic was gobbled up rule to be replaced by an Empire.

Although, in the end, it did sort of make sense. It was better than the Republic.

'_Anakin,' _

Immediately Anakin stopped what he was doing and stared at the elder Jedi next to him. he was staring at him, his eyes wide and full of concern at that outburst of pure hatred and anger. Obi-wan was also looking at him queerly. Anakin soon realized that he was the only one not bowing politely to those who had come to greet them, and he had a fixated gaze against the senator. The senator though seemed confused, and returned a gaze in turn.

The young boy immediately resolved his problems and bowed politely, which was in turn received by a nod from the senator and the Supreme Chancellor. But the senator didn't leave the boy from his eyes until he thought that he had been staring at him too long. Palpatine instead made his gaze make way towards the Queen, and stared at her intermittently. He smiled, sounding full of relief.

"It is a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty," He sounded. Anakin stared at him with narrowed eyes, seeing right through him. "With the communications breakdown we have been extremely worried. I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the current situation, many of us not believing what we had heard. My fear for you was beyond comprehension. May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum."

Anakin saw him motion to the man next to him, and as he saw thetaller man bow, his face long and stern, and the white hair shining; he was steadily greeted by a gaze that was full of purity and freedom. The young boy breathed in as he felt the good intentions of the man, and he knew him to be proud. Indeed, Valorum came from one of the most esteemed Noble Houses in the Galactic Republic, and especially on Coruscant. They had been mingled within politics for over a hundred generations, many of them esteemed Chancellors.

Valorum sounded proud as he spoke, but yet, it was as if age was wearing him down. "Welcome, Your Highness," he smiled. "It is an honor to finally meet you in person. I've called for a special session of the Senate to hear your position. Be sure, you Majesty, that the Trade Federation will not be hearing the end of this."

The Queen didn't even seem to smile as she nodded at the Chancellor. Nor did she seem to have any compassion in her voice. It was just plain and low. It was a political voice. "I am grateful for your concern, Chancellor." She made her way over to Palpatine and they began talking over the efforts of procedure within the senate. Behind them, Qui-gon went forward to the Chancellor, and bowed low, Anakin falling in behind him.

"We must speak with the Jedi Council immediately," he sighed to Valorum. "The situation has become far more difficult than we imagined." He seemed to motion towards Anakin, and the Chancellor followed his gaze.

Anakin stared at the senator as he left to join in with the group. They were heading towards the air taxi as it arrived to take them to their place within the Galactic Capital. Anakin sighed as he saw this, and narrowed in on the man as he stood outside of the taxi. He felt his jaw tighten, but otherwise he remained serene, standing tall among the Jedi. As Anakin contemplated sending a message through the Force to Palpatine, he was surprised to see that the senator simply turned and stared at him. His gaze shifted down, his eyes undoubtedly falling upon him, and as they did so, Anakin couldn't help tensing, his muscles freezing. he fought back hard, and sent a quick jolt through the Force, almost making the senator fall off balance.

Palpatine was almost taken aback by the amount of power that surged through the Force, all aimed at him. He yet remained in composure, staring at Anakin. _'Was that him?'_ he thought. _'Did he just do that to me?'_ he was soon answered by a message sent through the Force, obviously from the child that stood before him.

As powerful as he was in the Dark Side of the Force, Palpatine was not ready for what came next. He was actually surprised by the amount of power that the boy was using, which was practically none. _'I won't let you have me again Sith,'_ the Force said as it flashed through his mind. _'You will not corrupt me like you did before. I will kill you before you ever do such a thing like that again to me. You will not ruin my life again.'_

Before the senator could reply, Qui-gon turned and called Anakin to him. Anakin remained impassive though, staring at the senator for a moment before hearing the Jedi Master call again. Palpatine felt anger coursing through his veins, and as he wrestled his anger into the Force, he began to carefully probe the edges of the boy's presence. As powerful as he was in the Force, he surely would've had trouble masking it.

Yet, when he entered the mind, he found nothing besides a blank, empty space. No thoughts, no images and no speech of any kind. Though he did feel a substantial Force presence within him, he felt nothing amiss. As he turned once more though, another message came through the Force, and halted the senator where he stood.

'_You will have to try harder than that, Sidious,'_ it said. _'My powers are not something to be trifled with. In fact, have a feel of what true power feels like.'_

Even as that was said, the senator felt a darkness creep over him. Something that had not happened in a long time. He felt the power of the boy wash over him, almost consuming him and toppling him. He had to steady himself against that type of attack, he had never even expected it. The boy was indeed more powerful than he had at first foreseen. It made Palpatine reach into the deep recesses of his mind; he was reminded of something thought long lost.

He merely shook his head as he couldn't remember what it was that he was thinking about. He would remember it within time, he was sure. He entered the taxi, and sliding the door behind him, went off into the distance, talking with the Queen as they continued.

* * *

Back on Tatooine, the dark form that was known as Darth Maul sat silently in his ship, restoring his wounds in the Force. He actually hadn't expected himself to live through that attack, yet somehow he had. What he had expected though was for the Force to grant him a quick kill before he died. He was sure that he had seen the Jedi Master die before him, and then he would be killed by the padawan, but then again, it must have been a mistake. He shook his head roughly in contemplation.

He closed his eyes in deep thought for a moment, thinking of his course of action. Near to him though the console began to beep, waking him from his meditative state. As he stood, he winced slightly, but remembered that the Sith feed off the pain and suffering of others. As he passed the door he stared outside into the awakening sun. The light touched as much as it could, brightening the atmosphere and the surface, but there were some places its soothing rays couldn't reach. Mucho of the land was still encased in shadow, and the sky was partly dark.

As he reached the console he pressed the button, revealing a cloaked figure standing before him, wearing the same clothing as before. It was too soon for a reply, but he had been expecting it, as well as one from his master. He sighed as he stared at the figure before him. why couldn't these things be in colour he thought. He was cut off in thought as the figure before him spoke.

"You have failed me Maul." The tone was low and severe, yet thick with an accent. It was meaningful in a way he had yet to understand.

"Forgive my failure, Master," he hissed in a low tone, meeting the gaze of the figure before him. He dropped to one knee before the image, who stood in silence for a good while, receiving penance for his failure. He was disappointed with the way that he had acted, and knew that his master was expecting nothing but obedience and service from him. why else would he have contacted him in the end.

It took a while, but the answer came in clear. "It is forgiven; you had the effect at gaining what both Sidious and I expected it would. The Sith have returned, though the Jedi refuse to accept it. You have done well indeed. This could work to my—our advantage."

Maul didn't fail to miss that, but dismissed it as he was focused on his failure to apprehend Skywalker. "But I failed to get the boy, Master. Master Sidious is going to be displeased with my attempts…"

"He does not matter," the image hollered all of sudden, demeaning the Dark Lord, making him boy his head. "Sidious will have to wait, as will his orders. You are my servant now, and will have a place in the New Order." He paused before continuing. "Sidious' time as Dark Lord of the Sith is now coming to an end. I am returning to fill the mantle, and I have need of aides to help me rule. I still have need of you to make your way to Coruscant, so that you can attempt to apprehend the boy once more."

"Why him, Master?" Maul asked. "What is so special about him?"

The figure smiled wickedly, and almost laughed. "He holds the key to us creating a New Sith Empire. Where it will be the rule of the strong, not the manipulative. For this to happen though, Sidious must be killed, and Anakin Skywalker holds that key. He has a darkness within him, and that darkness must be released once more."

"How shall I go about…retrieving him, my Master?" Maul asked with a concerned voice. "I have to keep Sidious and you as pleased as possible."

"He has by now found out that Anakin holds a special power, and will want you to retrieve him for him," the Sith mentioned. "I will need you to get him for me, and bring him here to Endomor. There we shall unleash him."

"I do not have the coordinates master…" Maul began but was cut off by the Sith Lord before him.

"Everything has been provided for you. The coordinates will be sent into your ships nav-computer within the hour." He paused for a moment before continuing. "If you fail me again, your regeneration will not be as suitable as the last time, I trust you remember the pains that you felt as you were ripped from your body, and then thrown back in again."

Maul remembered the pain of heaving himself inserted back into his body. He shivered as the memory was thrown back into his mind again. "I will not fail you, Master."

The Sith Lord smiled wickedly. "See that you do not, as I will not be as forgiving as I was this time."

The transmission cut off, and Maul remained where he was kneeling. He shivered as the darkness approached him.

* * *

_(A/N: Most of the dialogue here is taken from the film and script, even the novelization. I apologize for any inconvenience.)_

Palpatine was pacing in his guest room, walking back and forth behind the couch. He was thinking hard about how to address the situation carefully. At first, he seemed discouraged for a moment, looking around the room as if in a complete daze. He sighed as he continued his conversation with the Queen. The senator came forward, and then bowed to the Queen. "Your Majesty," Palpatine stated carefully, his voice charming and seductive. "The Republic is not what it once was. The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates who are only looking out for themselves and their home systems. There is no interest in the common good...no civility, only politics—it's disgusting. It is merely a game to them, and as Naboo did sign part of the treaty put tariffs on the Trade Federations cargoes, then it can be seen as a retaliation of sorts." He sighed for a moment, his face taking on a grave expression. "I am sorry, Your Majesty, but there is little chance the Senate will act on the invasion, they have no interest in this type of…motion anymore."

The Queen went silent for a moment, bowing her head in a suggestive trance. "Chancellor Valorum seems to think there is hope."

Palpatine smiled all of a sudden, as if she was making a joke of sorts. The Queen look at him queerly. He quickly shook it away, hiding it carefully. "With all due respect, your Majesty, there is no hope. Valorum is not as powerful as he may seem. He has little hold on the Senate as it is."

"What do you mean?" she asked gravely, her hope dropping.

Palpatine smiled cunningly, he had expected such an attempt from Amidala about the Chancellor's leadership. He had been planning this for a long time, and didn't want it to go awry just yet. "If I may say so, Your Majesty, the Chancellor has little real power. He is mired down by baseless accusations of corruption. A manufactured scandal surrounds him. His accounts have been tampered with over the past few years, and an extreme amount of credits have been pouring in, and out of his account. He is actually rumored to be on the payroll of the Trade Federation, though no proof has been found." He stared at the Queen, her eyes aghast at his statement. "True that I have supported him for sometime now, but this support is thinning. The bureaucrats are in charge now."

The Queen then voiced her opinion. "Then what options do we have? If Valorum cannot be trusted, how do I know that I can trust you?"

Palpatine stopped in his stance, and stared at the Queen. He hadn't expected that from her. It was extremely aggressive. He smiled quickly, but turned with a more sever expression. He loved this with all of his heart. He liked manipulating her and all of his opponents into doing what he wanted. The senator shook his head and continued. "Our best choice would be to push for the election of a stronger Supreme Chancellor. One who will take control of the bureaucrats, enforces the laws, and gives us justice. You could call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum."

"Besides what you have said, senator, Chancellor Valorum has been our strongest supporter." Amidala motioned, not believing that Palpatine would even go as far as to suggest such a thing to her. Weren't the Chancellor of the senator good friends? She assumed they were, and now he was backstabbing him.

Palpatine read her mind. "This is politics, your Majesty. As I said before, it is just a game."

Padme immediately revealed her skeptical glance. She couldn't believe what the senator was saying. But yet, he had a valid point. The Senate would be a waste of time, and she also knew that the Courts would take longer to decide than the Senate would. She stood up and stood before Palpatine, who had a confused look on his face. She stood proud. "Our people are dying, senator, more and more each day. We must do something quickly to stop the Federation."

Palpatine sighed in defeat. "To be realistic, Your Highness, I'd say we're going to have to accept Federation control for the time being."

He motioned in on Padme, and saw her mouth move suddenly. "That is something that I cannot do."

* * *

_(A/N: Most of the dialogue here is taken from the film and script, even the novelization. I apologize for any inconvenience.)_

Coruscant was filled with unique building which dotted the surface of the planet. Some tall and thin, others lanky and wide, and all of odd shape. But there was none so elegant and mesmerizing, and odd of shape as the Jedi Temple. It was just the ancient composure of the building which made it fascinating. It stood alone among the city. It was a colossal ziggurat, atop of which five tall spires standing out against the Coruscant skyline.

Within the far tower stood Qui-gon Jinn, the master of the Living Force. He attempted to make himself stand tall and straight, in an elegant way. Behind him stood his padawan, Obi-wan Kenobi, and like Qui-gon, he was studying the reaction of the Jedi Masters. Anakin was standing silently next to Obi-wan, silent as the grave. At times that seem to nod their heads, and at others they merely seem to remain silent.

The seats of the twelve council members were formed in a semi-circular pattern, facing inwards to the centre of the room, so that always one of the masters would be facing another one. One would always remain opposite the other. This was done in such a way as the Jedi believed in the connectivity and the interconnection between all things. In the world of the Jedi, the balance of life within the Force was the pathway to understanding and peace.

Qui-gon had been referring to the events of the past few days to the council, and pressing about the most disturbing issue at hand which was the attempted assignation of Padme Amidala at the hands of the dark assassin. He had related the facts to them that the opponent was well trained in the Force, both physically and mentally, and his skill with a lightsaber made him well trained.

The Jedi Master bought his eyes back up to meet the tense eyes of Mace Windu and Yoda, both of whom had been watching him expectantly. They were the most respected within the Jedi Order. Master Windu being the elite swords master and Yoda being the essential spirit of the Force within the order for the past 870 odd years.

Qui-gon stated silently, but with meaning in his voice. He was confident that he was correct. "…my only conclusion can be that it was a Sith Lord."

The last words didn't go unnoticed by most of the council, as they looked at each other skeptically. There was a large amount of shifting bodies and limbs, and the brown cloaks moved suddenly. They were defiantly unprepared for that, and didn't expect it either. Nor did they believe it. "Impossible!" Ki-adi-Mundi snapped up irritably. He turned towards Yoda and Mace, eyeing them consciously. "The Sith have been extinct for a millennium."

"I have proof of what you need, my Masters." Qui-gon said irritably. He motioned towards his belt and revealed a small, thin metallic object. As he held it up all of the Master eyed it suspiciously, until he ignited it, revealing a dull red blade. The Master's shook with defiance, as they knew that to be the colour of a Sith weapon.

The swords master leaned back in a casual way, as if not taking this into account. "I do not believe they could have returned without us knowing. This saber could merely be used by a Dark Jedi of sorts. It may not have been a Sith." He cast a wry glance at Yoda, and then turned to Qui-gon and Obi-wan.

Yoda though remained open minded, and passive. "A darkness is emanating from it, strong I feel. Clouding our judgments I believe it is." He nodded silently, making some other nod in turn at his statement. "Hard to see, the dark side is. If involved the Sith are, the very Republic is threatened."

"I sense he will reveal himself again." Ki-adi-Mundi suddenly argued, his brow furrowed in the light. As a Cerean, his domed head did all of the thinking, discerning both sides, good and evil. Of what is right and wrong.

Mace bought his hands up to the bottom of his chin, and stared at the Jedi being assessed within the centre of the room. "This attack was with purpose, that is clear, and I agree the Queen is the target."

"I disagree, my Masters." Qui-gon spoke up defiantly as all of the Council Masters turned towards him. There was some doubt registering in their eyes.

"What reason do you have for this, Master Qui-gon?" Yoda asked as his ears peaked forward in surprise by his compatriot's defiance.

Qui-gon smiled, and placed his hand in his jacket pocket and then bought out the small triangular object that Anakin had given them before. All of the council seemed to gasp in shock. A Sith holocron had not been found in many years, and now there was one before them. Yoda nodded, as he was expected to. Ki-adi-Mundi and Mace merely remained silent, their thoughts betraying them. They were clouded by their own judgment of being what they thought was right.

Qui-gon continued speaking. "I found this off of the young boy here," He motioned to Anakin whom he bought forward with a swipe of his hand. He seemed afraid, and partly daunted by the power he was feeling, emanating from the Jedi Masters. Inwardly he placed his shields up, putting a Force-persuasion technique up behind it, hiding all of his thoughts, besides what he was thinking. The Jedi Council would not find much in his head. Even as he did so, Yoda's eyes narrowed at him, making him think that the Grand Master had seen right through it.

He stiffened slightly as Qui-gon spoke again. "Young Anakin here was in possession of this object, as he said that he had found it in his shops junkyard. He has told us that he hadn't been unable to listen to it, or understand it properly yet, but that the word 'Sith' is revealed many times."

"Is this the same boy that you believe to be extremely powerful in the Force?" Mace almost asked in a choking manner, disbelieving in anything that Qui-gon had said.

Qui-gon nodded silently, and breathing in he began. "With your permission, my Master. I believe that I have encountered a vergence in the Force, emanating mainly from the boy besides me."

"What reasoning do you give?" Ki-adi-Mundi asked in a curious manner as his two brains acted simultaneously. He turned the boy and stared at him. "Do you consider him to be of…significant attainment?"

The Jedi Master nodded. "Anakin here," he started before continuing. "His cells have the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have ever seen in a life form. It is possible he was conceived by the midi-chlorians."

There was a shocked silence around the council rooms for a moment. What Qui-gon was suggesting was the impossible, but they all knew of the prophecy. The 'Chosen One' who would alter the Force forever, changing the destinies of those who resounded within it. Mace once again asked quizzically, yet more serious this time. "You're referring to the prophesy of the one who will bring balance to the Force." He couldn't believe what he was saying. "You believe it's this boy?"

Qui-gon hesitated, but recovered quickly. "I don't presume, my Master. I know." He paused to let his statement sink in, but continued before the Masters stopped him. "I have seen his experience first hand with the Force. He has an extravagant ability to manipulate people, and almost killed a Dug on Tatooine merely using Force push. Not only that, but he seems to be able to shock people with unleashing his Force potential."

"What do you mean by that, Qui-gon?" Mace asked, his eyebrows peaking upwards. But before Qui-gon could reply, Mace was thrown back by an awesome power. He tried hard to fight against it but it was too strong for him to counter act against it. The other Masters in the room began to cringe, and felt the power surge over them, overpowering them. They sat still, but narrowed their eyes at the boy as they searched his telepathic mind.

He was indeed strong as Qui-gon had said, but beyond that, they could feel nothing but powerful shields in his head, blocking them from entering his mind. He had somehow erected a number of powerful shields in his head without any formal Jedi training. The shields that he was using too were unlike any, besides few Jedi Master, could create. He was indeed strong, stronger than some of them put together.

As Anakin stopped Mace felt himself released from an eternal pain, and as he fell forward he stared at Anakin. Free from the binds he studied the eager face before him. "Your opinion is noted, Qui-gon, but he will still have to be tested." He paused as to make sure that Anakin would not try anything again. "But his skill with the Force will be taken into account. That is if you wish for the boy to be trained as a Jedi."

The Jedi Council began to communicate again without words, their concern was rising, and their utter disdain for Qui-gon's revelation was evidently showing. They knew him to be right, but for them to be saying that he was the 'Chosen One' was preposterous, even if he had a unique skill with the Force without any training. Yet there were some of the Council who were wavering to his side. Qui-gon merely remained silent until Yoda eyed him suddenly. He spoke in a low tone of voice. "Trained as a Jedi, you request for him?" he asked, making Qui-gon snap out of his trance.

"Finding him was the will of the Force." Qui-gon pressed restlessly. "I have no doubt of that.  
There is too much happening to him here for it to be anything else."

Mace Windu held up one hand. Nodding his head in approval he stared Yoda and Ki-adi in the face, and surrendered totally to the will of Qui-gon. "then leave us Qui-gon, and we shall test him now."

Qui-gon nodded suddenly, and making a last gesture towards Anakin, he stared at the boy, and the thought of leaving him alone here was hard. But it was what he had to do. Bowing, and Obi-wan besides him doing the same, they left the Council chambers, and left without a word.

* * *

_(A/N: Most of the dialogue here is taken from the film and script, even the novelization. I apologize for any inconvenience.)_

(A/N cont': I am not really good at senatorial meetings, so this will be the main one of the story. I am not good at writing politics.)

If anything, the Senate was one of the greatest buildings on the planet Coruscant itself. Located within the largest district on Coruscant, it was also one of the largest buildings to be placed anywhere within the entire galaxy. It was a circular dome, which was placed atop of a cylindrical drum shaped body which led to the metallic level of the city. It stood out alone in the city. Much like the Jedi Temple did.

Within the large mausoleum, the auditorium stage had a look of an arena, circular and massive, with many thousands of small pods escaping off the main walls and their own separate doors which echoed off and above the main floors of the senate. Row after row after row were placed there, circling a small thin podium. This podium was in fact the Supreme Chancellor's central podium. It was a broad, semi-closed area which allowed Valorum, or the Chancellor, to either sit or stand and address the senate at will.

Queen Amidala and her retinue stared at the officials who stood next to the Chancellor. On the right of him sat a humanoid alien with large horns and tusks venerating off of his head. It was known by many that this man was a Chagrian, and as they were so rare within the Galactic Capital, that alone demanded respect and order to be obeyed and delivered. Especially of this one. Mas Amedda was a figure of imposing stature. Like the rest of his race he stood taller than a Human, with the horns adding extra height. His blue skin made him unique wherever he went. The venerating tusks or horns that grew from his head were a sign of power, and prestige.

Alone of all of the figures, he was elected for a longer term while with the Chancellor, as he was once of the most powerful figures within Galactic History. Amedda held the position of Vice Chair which was to basically open and close the senate meetings and discussions, and organize when they were to take place. The Vice Chair served as long as they could maintain the confidence of the Senate, and could be removed, or instated in Senate elections independent of elections for Chancellor. They also had the power to call an order to the senate at will if he needed, and usually they would listen to him, which shows his obeyed will, and the power that he had over the senate, and regular people.

On the other side of the Chancellor sat the Senior Administrative Aide, or the Staff Aide, who's main job was to organize the Chancellor's schedule, and also to organize the public events in relation to the Chancellor. The lady who sat there at this present time was actually a human female by the name of Sei Taria. There was really nothing of excitement to note about her. She was just another ordinary aide.

The box from Naboo maintained its position where it was placed within the senate, and as the Queen and her aides entered, Palpatine turned to the Queen and carefully stated into her ear. "If the Federation moves to defer the motion, Your Majesty, I beg of you to ask for a resolution to end this session and call for an election of a new Supreme Chancellor. It is _only_ if that happens that you will receive all the aid that you need to move against the Federation."

The Queen didn't look at him in anyway. But after a while, breaking her momentary silence, she spoke. "It is only what you seem to think may happen. The Jedi have told me that the future is uncertain, senator, so how do you know that you will be making the right decision in moving against the Chancellor?"

Palpatine pouted, and then began to press her to see his view. He didn't hide his annoyance. "You must see it my way, your Majesty. I have been in politics for over forty years, and I know how this works here on Coruscant. You must force a new election for Supreme Chancellor. I assure you, I implore you to do so. I _promise_ you that there are many who will support us." he noticed that she didn't seem moved by his sentiments. "It is our best chance, Your Majesty, our _only_ chance."

He ended his statement with a glance towards the Supreme Chancellor's podium, and eyed Valorum intently. This was followed by a number of murmurs which had been rising ever since the Naboo party had entered the premises. If the Queen heard the change of tenor of conversation around her she gave no sign. "Do you truly believe Chancellor Valorum will not bring our motion to a vote?" she asked with a last ray of hope in her eyes.

Palpatine shook his head in disgust at the suggestion. "He is distracted. He is afraid. He will be of no help. He will most likely listen to the bureaucrats at this time." He offered, confidently assuring her, though showing no emotion.

The auditorium immediately went silent as Valorum stood up and declared his intentions carefully. "The Chair recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Naboo."

The Senatorial box from Naboo immediately detached itself from the docking ring, and made its slow descent towards the centre of the auditorium.

Palpatine, and his senatorial box, as soon as he had reached the open space before the main podium, carefully approached the front of the box to where the microphone was and to where his voice would be projected. He took a slight breath before announcing his accusations. He could feel all eyes peering towards him. "Supreme Chancellor, delegates of the Senate," he stated carefully, his voice booming all around the echoing space. "A tragedy has occurred on our peaceful system of Naboo. We have become caught in a dispute you're all well aware of, which began right here with the taxation of trade routes. As you know, we were one of the few to sign the document which agreed to this proposal, but now, our entire planet has been engulfed in the oppression of the Trade Federation."

A second box rushed forward suddenly, coming into view. Amid the small amount of cries that could be heard coming from the other senators, this voice stood out. This pod contained the markings of the Trade Federation, and its representative, Lott Dod. "This is outrageous! I object to the Senator's statements!" his voice thundered through the auditorium, growing louder as it retreated from the source.

Valorum had a peeved look on his face, and immediately addressed the Senator of the Trade Federation. "The Chair does not recognize the Senator from the Trade Federation  
at this time. Please return to your station."

The senator reluctantly retreated back into his place, with a look of dismay and utter hatred burning in his eyes. Palpatine smiled, but hid it quickly. Palpatine immediately perked his head around, making sure that he had everyone's attention.The Senator began in a clear, raised voice. "To state our allegations, I present Queen Amidala, the recently elected ruler of Naboo, to speak on our behalf."

Queen Amidala stood up suddenly; she looked proud and fearsome in that outfit. Around her there are some cries, and some applause. She took in a deep breathe before talking. "Honorable representatives of the Republic, distinguished delegates, and Your Honor Supreme Chancellor Valorum," her voice was firm. "I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. The Naboo system has been invaded by force, against all the laws of the Republic by the Droid Armies of the Trade..."

Amidala was cut off sharply by the senator from the Trade Federation who returned suddenly, even more incensed. "I object! There is no proof. We are being deemed as invaders of peaceful planets. We are nothing but traders." He turned to Valorum and faced him. "Your Honor, you cannot allow us to be condemned without reasonable observation. It's against all the rules of procedure. We recommend that a commission be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth."

Valorum had had enough of this interruption. He was intent on seeing his vote passed, and Naboo secured. He would have Naboo as an ally, and would play against Palpatine, and his little game that he was playing. "Overruled." He stated aggressively.

Behind them now a third box representing the planet of Malastare moved into the center of the room. The three eyed alien, named Aks Moe, the Ambassador, addresses the convention. His voice is evidently full of concern, but with agreeable tone. His three eyes scanned the room. "The Congress of Malastare concurs with the honorable delegate from  
the Trade Federation. A commission must be appointed, _that_ is the _law_."

"We are here to discuss the threat to Naboo, whether or not it has been invaded will be decided later, and if it is the Trade Federation, their trade franchises will be revoked and lost." He paused for a moment, and then continued. "The point is…" the Chancellor began, but was disrupted by Mas Amedda next to him. Immediately Valorum turned and face his aide, listening to him. Upon seeing this, Palpatine conferred to Padme about what was happening.

Palpatine had already begun to whisper to the Queen. He used his tone wisely, and cunningly. "…bureaucrats, the true rulers of the Republic, and on the payroll of the Trade Federation, I might add. They will begin to entice Valorum to see it their way, and make him choose against you. This is where Chancellor Valorum's strength will disappear."

Almost as predicted, Valorum seemed to surrender. "The point is conceded," his tone was full of loss. "Queen Amidala of the Naboo, will you defer your motion to allow a commission to explore the validity of your accusations?"

Her eyebrows lifted suddenly, she was becoming is angry, but yet remains composed. The Queen began to straighten herself, and stood tall. Her voice was firm and straight to the point. "I will not defer," she stated carefully, unknowingly that she was being manipulated by Palpatine. "I have come before you to resolve this attack on our sovereignty now. I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee. My planet has been invaded and you are only interested in what you will get out of this agreement, either with me or the Federation. My people are dying, I cannot discern it enough. But I will say that if this body is not capable of action, I suggest that new leadership is needed." She seemed to pause for a moment, considering if this was the right course, there was a small nudge from Palpatine's direction, but he hid his smile. "I move for a Vote of no Confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership."

The Chancellor looked up. The cries had already started. He seemed lost all of a sudden, as if without allies left for him. "What?" he suddenly gasped, feeling alone. "No!" A loud murmur crescendos into a roar as the assembly of Senators began to erupt in voices of approval and jeers. It begins to echo through the chamber Chancellor Valorum is stunned and stands speechless, he then moves silently, and sits down, lost. The look on his face is one of utter betrayal. His Vice Chair, Mas Amedda, seeing all of the confidence in the Chancellor fail all of a sudden, immediately took over.

"Order!" he yelled, his demeanor demanding that he be obeyed. A number of senators begin to fall silent and listen to the man. "We shall have order!"

The assembly quieted for a moment, and then a number of podiums began to enter into the arena. Palpatine and the senator from the Trade Federation exchanged quick glances, but neither spoke to each other. On the other side of the Naboo box though, another box enters, and settles opposite to Amidala. The Queen noticed that Bail Antilles was the senator in the box from Alderaan. Bail stood tall, and addressed the assembly, and Mas Amedda. "Alderaan seconds the motion for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum. If he is incapable of taking action, then he cannot be allowed to continue serving the Office of the Chancellor of the Republic. We have all seen the baseless acts of corruption surrounding him as of late. I cast my vote with the Naboo. I support them all the way."

Amedda appears surprised, and deepens his voice. "The motion has been seconded by Bail Antilles of Alderaan." He turned to a confused Valorum, and then began to whisper something to him, though he hardly registers what is going on.

Amid the cries and jeers, Palpatine drags himself up to where the queen is. "You see, Your Majesty, the tide is with us," he turned towards Valorum, and looked him in the eye. He nods suddenly, which stuns Anakin. "Valorum will be voted out, I assure you, and they will elect in a new Chancellor, a strong Chancellor, one who will not let our tragedy continue."

'_Namely, ME.'_ He said to himself as he stared at the Chancellor as he stared directly at Palpatine, with a look of betrayal masked on his face.

* * *

It had turned into a dark night on Coruscant as Darth Sidious approached the outside balcony of his private residence within the Galactic City. He carefully watched as all of the ships passed through the air, billowing past as if they didn't even notice him. the Galactic City blew up well at night, illuminating the landscape with great blue and yellow white lights. It amazed even him that such a city could exist.

It was only for the first time that he was extremely angered. In the past few days he had seen that his apprentice, Darth Maul, had failed to kill the Jedi, and capture the Queen. He had failed all together, and now that treaty would not be signed, and the legality of the Trade Federations incursion into the Nubian space would be affected unless something could be done about it. For a moment he thought about assassination, and maybe even kidnapping, but then he thought against it. Then there was also something else on his mind.

It was the young boy. Whoever that child was he was with the Jedi, and he was exceedingly strong in the Force, more so than usual. He didn't know how, but somehow he had been created by the Force, and had been endowed with all of his powers. Something in his mind had ticked when he had seen him, and then it had taken him a while to click, but he finally knew what had happened.

Darth Plagueis must have succeeded. He had succeeded in creating a life form that was created by the Force. It had to have been it, or else it was natural. Besides this though, he had been experimenting in that field for quite a while, and it was either that, or something else. For all he knew it had been natural, and as far as he was concerned, let the Jedi believe it. They would forget all about it soon enough.

He was too old for their training anyway, and something about the boy knew that. Also though, the boy had guessed, or assumed correctly that Palpatine was a Sith, and he had called him by his Sith name of Sidious. He didn't know how, but he guessed that it must be because of his power. That type of power would be extremely useful in the right hands, and could be used for good, and terrible deeds.

Even as he thought of this, he felt the presence of Darth Maul behind him flutter into view. Sidious turned and faced him, narrowing his eyes curtly at him for his failure. Maybe his apprentice was not yet up to the Job, he thought. Maul immediately kneeled before his master, and kept his head low.

"I have failed, my Master." he stated in his silent tone. "I failed to get the Queen, and be rid of the Jedi, I have failed."

Sidious stayed silent for a moment, but lifted his arm and motioned for his apprentice to rise. As he did so, the master spoke. "You are forgiven, my apprentice. Our enemy is resourceful and extremely adept at running, they fooled you into fighting you together. And you were tricked by the Queen. She used her decoy as the Queen while you actually made contact with her."

"Are you sure master?" Maul asked.

"Yes." The darker lord stated. "I am surprised that your senses didn't pick that up."

"I was preoccupied, my master. Between fighting the Jedi and the powerful Force presence that I felt within the bowels of the ship."

Sidious' eyes widened, and he cocked his head. "A young boy, I assume."

Maul lifted his head. "Yes master. I could feel his Force presence. He is incredibly strong." He looked at his master for a moment, and saw that he had a change in heart. "Should I consider him my new target?" Maul hoped that he would get it as he could play two powerful Sith Lords off at once. While attacking the Jedi and the child, he would not only attempt to get him, but would use him to pawn him off against the highest bidder. If he were to die though, he knew that the Sith would bring him back in another body, and would then use him to capture the boy again. Things would work out perfectly in the end, and the True Sith Lord would have the boy in the end.

"Yes, I did mention something about a new target, didn't I?" Sidious mused quickly. "Walk with me, my apprentice." Maul began to pace suddenly with his striding master. "The Queen is playing into our hands; she is leaving tonight to head back to Naboo, she feels disgusted by what she said before to replace the Chancellor with another one. She need not be worried about anything until the next stages of our plans begin. Therefore I am sending you to attack the Jedi before they leave, but I want you to apprehend the boy. He is the key."

"The key, master?"

"Yes." Sidious mused. "I sense that there has been a great shift in him. His Force-presence now runs more deeply than all of the Jedi combined. Not even that pathetic life form, Master Yoda has a Force presence that deep. Nor do I. that type of power could be very useful in the wrong hands. Bring him before me, relatively unharmed, so that I might…speak with him. He sees more than a normal untrained Jedi should. He will most likely not be trained anyway, so I would like you to get him for me. He has a unique ability in finding Darkness where others do not, and I would like to know _why_."

"Is he truly that dangerous, Master?" Maul inquired. He knew the boy was dangerous of course as he was told to get as much information on him by the other Sith, and to bring him to them as soo as he had him. For Sidious he was the key to his success in creating the Empire, and the same went with The Sith. And Maul was merely a pawn in this game. In fact, why shouldn't he try and convert the boy to his side anyway, as his own apprentice. Then there would be a three sided war against the Republic and Jedi.

Sidious could feel his apprentice's confusion, and force his mouth into another twisted smile. "He is a potential threat, my apprentice. I intend to unlock his secrets. I sense he might hold the key to my final goal."

"What if he refuses to comply?"

"He will comply." Sidious grieved, his face all screwed up. "If needs be, I will take his powers, either by his will, or by Force."

* * *

Please Review. I am sorry for all of the copywrited material from The Phantom Menace screenplay and novelization. It was never my intention to demean the franchise in any way possible. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Reprise

Disclaimer: The Phantom Menace novelization will be used throughout this story. My apologies to Terry Brooks for this breach of conduct, and to Lucas Arts. Most of the dialogue of this chapter is taken from the film and script, even the novelization. I apologize for any inconvenience.

* * *

Qui-gon would not let it go. No matter what he would just berate the Council about Anakin being the Chosen One. There was just something about him that didn't want to believe otherwise. He had felt his power, and knew his heart. Obi-wan knew as the Council did, or would soon know, that they would not train the boy. Their decision would be same as it was on other occasions. Qui-gon would be denied and his stature as a Jedi Master would fall a little farther.

Yet Obi-wan knew that if this were so then Qui-gon would take matters into his own hands. As he usually did anyway when the Council refused his advice or suggestions. Obi-wan moved closer to where his master stood, looking out and studying over the endless horizon of skyscrapers. The balcony that they stood on was on the upper levels of the Jedi Temple, which looked directly out upon the Senatorial and business districts of the main city. Obi-wan stood silent though, for a moment, and waited.

"Yes Obi-wan?" Qui-gon turned and faced his apprentice, his face was stern as if he knew what was about to be said.

Obi-wan cleared his throat, his look as pensive and stern. "I know that you have heard this argument from me before, Master, but I am correct when I say it. The boy will not pass the Council's tests, Master, and you know it. He is far too old."

"Anakin will become a Jedi" If the older man was taked back by that statement he hardly showed it. "I promise you."

"I am not denying that he would become the Jedi in the near future, Master," Obi-wan pleaded suggestively. "I am merely saying that the boy will not pass the Councils tests. He has been in there for many hours now, and they haven't stopped testing him yet. There are many other way to becoming a Jedi. Besides this though, he does have a great power within in, but you had to sense it as much as I or the Council did before. He is too powerful for his age. He is dangerous and will not pass the Councils tests. It is his age that will defer him from this action, he _is_ too old." He stared his master in the face before continuing. "You have to accept it sooner or later Master, that I am right."

"You may be right Obi-wan, but so am I." The Jedi Master said with a definite tone of satisfaction and assertion in his voice. He was determined to see it through. He turned and nodded to Obi-wan. "He will be a Jedi, I promise you."

Obi-wan sighed as he heard his master speak. He would never give up. Either he would train him officially, or unofficially. "Don't defy the Council, Master." Obi-wan begged him, his voice pleading. "Not again."

The older man seemed to go very still, perhaps to even stop breathing. He knew that Obi-wan was tired of him disobeying the Council, and he knew that he would actually be on the council if he would just obey them. He sighed wearily. "I will do what I must, Obi-wan."

"Master, you could be sitting on the Council by now if you would just follow the code." Obi-wan offered suddenly, hoping to break the obvious tension between them. "They will not go along with you this time."

Qui-gon smiled suddenly, and looked down at his young apprentice. "You still have much to learn, my young apprentice."

"As do your, master." Obi-wan returned, knowing that this could only end in getting worse. "And only in this instance, I am right. You can be sure of that."

* * *

_Jedi Council Chambers:_

They had been going at it for hours.

Within the bounds of the Council Chambers, Anakin Skywalker stood, enclosed and surrounded by the twelve Jedi Masters who observed him quietly. They could tell that he was nervous, and he knew that he was nervous. But all of his other feelings he hid as he tried to seem as if e was a bit frightened. Even more so than usual. Mainly because this would be the event that would decide his fate. He turned his face carefully to the floor, which was tiled in the most extravagant designs. It helped him concentrate for a moment, but was later lost.

For the past few hours or so they had been questioning him at great length. How he was born. Where he lived. About his mother. Who his father was. How he had gained his powers, and what had happened to him in those three days when he was sick. They asked him about his slave life on Tatooine, and how it felt to be in a pod race. After that, Master Windu had raised himself from his seat and carefully walked around the young boy, studying him at great lengths. He shivered a little at that, feeling the movement of the dark skinned Jedi behind him. His anxiety began to fade as Master Windu took his seat. There was nothing but silence for a moment, as the eventually studying came to a close. Anakin saw Mace pick up a datapad off the side of his chair, his brown eyes flicking back up to Anakin.

"I'm going to turn this on now, and I want you to tell me whatever you see," Master Windu said. "Don't worry about how you'll get the answers; they should come to you naturally. Even with your Force powers you should be able to guess them before they come."

"How?" Anakin asked suddenly, knowing that it was a stupid question to which he already knew the answer.

"They will just appear to you. That is all that you need to know." The Jedi offered, his face betraying no emotion or expression of any kind. "Just relax."

Anakin breathed in before continuing with the test. Something then whispered to him.

'_Ship.'_

"Ship," he repeated, and felt the image shift rapidly. He stared at it carefully, trying discern its features. One by one though he named them all, as the images whisked through his mind. The voice whispered to him again. _'Cup.'_

"Cup," he said, feeling the image shift again.

'_Speeder,'_ it murmured.

"Speeder," he replied, and he felt the images fade, and saw Master Windu drop the data pad, and look at him as if her were some animal. Master Windu was watching him curiously, intently. After his show of power before when he had struck the Jedi Master to the chair, he had given off the vibe of not trusting Anakin at all, and watched him curiously. He glanced at Master, Yoda and nodded in affirmation.

Yoda, the small green alien, after receiving a nod from Mace, turned to Anakin, and stared through him, as if he was not there. He couldn't get through his best shields though, which made Anakin feel proud, a feeling which all of the Jedi in the room felt. Although he could feel the small Jedi Master prodding at the shields. He thought that he should demonstrate some of his power, but thought better of it as Mace already distrusted him. "Good, young one." He offered as if congratulating him. Somehow Anakin knew that they would not be training him, just like they had neglected him before, they would do so again. He hid these feelings swiftly though, as not to betray his thoughts. "How feel you?"

Anakin shook his head. He sighed as he remembered the same question when going through his memory. He shivered, knowing that he, and all of them, already knew the answers. "Cold, sir." He replied steadily.

"Afraid are you?" Yoda asked, his ears pricking up. He saw something in the boy that no one else did.

"No, sir." Anakin returned.

"Are your afraid to give up your life?" The deep voice of Mace Windu entered into the discussion. He peered at Anakin with distrust.

Anakin almost smiled. "I don't think so." He looked at Windu with intent. It was a smug type of look.

Yoda blinked as his long ears pointed forward. "See through you, we can."

"Be mindful of your feelings." Windu interjected.

This time Ki-adi-Mundi spoke up, his voice soothing and calm. He stroked his beard, and peered at Anakin, his large head double thinking. "Your thoughts," he began carefully, searching the boys mind. "Dwell on your mother."

Anakin smiled, and then offered back, a bit emotional. "I miss her."

"Afraid to lose her" the aged Jedi offered suddenly. "I think."

Anakin felt a bit objected. Almost wounded. That was like an insult to him. "And if I do?" he returned to them. "My feelings for my mother are non consequential to you Jedi. They are my feelings, not yours, and although you might say that you forbid attachments, you still allow some exceptions. So I ask you, what's my mother got to do with anything?" he stated, as he was partly annoyed by that previous statement.

"Everything." Yoda stated suddenly. His voice firm and vigilant. He wanted the boy to understand what it was that he would be going through. "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." The older Jedi sighed suddenly, staring intently at the young boy. Anakin almost shivered. "A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, the most serious mind. I sense much fear in you."

Anakin smiled, and he turned to face Ki-adi-Mundi and another one of the Council members. He shook his head in surprise. What a bunch of hypocrites, he thought. Images flashed though his mind of all of the Master's deaths s he remembered them, Mace at Palpatine's hands, Ki-adi at Mygeeto, Plo Koon at Cato Neimoidia. He had a feeling that these thoughts, or visions would be broadcast to the Jedi, and he faltered for sending more.

He knew many of the secrets of the Jedi Order, especially that a couple of the most esteemed Masters on the Council had fostered children out of restrictions of their revised moral codes. They had forbidden it, yet they still went ahead with it in the end. Ki-adi-Mundi was one of those fortunate enough to have a daughter, and maybe if he sent it through the Force, it might cast some leverage, but he thought better of it.

It probably wouldn't get him anywhere anyway. He had remained silent for a while, and Anakin merely bowed his head at Yoda sensing fear in him. He felt almost ashamed. There was a small voice near him that spoke up. "Continue with this, we will."

* * *

The Queen stood quietly in her chamber, peering intently out of the window. Behind her Jar Jar Binks appeared, wearing a concerned look in his face. The lights of the city shimmer within the changing degrees. The Gungan placed a hand on her shoulder, as if to offer some solace.

"Yousa tinken yousa people ganna die?" he said in his slightly, undignified and uncultured accent. There was no point to him at all in this story, or even in this part.

"I don't know." Padme replied, her voice was full of emotion.

"Gungans ganna get pasted too, eh?"

"I hope not." She offered, shaking her head.

He lifted up his spirits for a moment, then offered something to her. "Gungans do die'n without a fight. Wesa warriors. Wesa gotta grand army." He turned to her instead of looking outside of the window. "Dat why you no liken us, metinks."

She had barely enough time to register what the Gungun had said as she heard the door open slightly behind her. As she was preparing to speak, Captain Panaka entered the room, followed by Palpatine. They bowed before the Queen, excitedly.

"Your Highness," the captain greeted barely able to contain his excitement. "Senator Palpatine has been nominated to succeed Valorum as Supreme Chancellor."

Palpatine's wide smile beamed upon the Queen. He motioned himself forward. "A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one." He started for a moment, sensing around the room, he stared at the Queens stagnant face. "I promise, Your Majesty, if I am elected, I will bring democracy back to the Republic. I will put an end to corruption. The Trade Federation will lose its influence over the bureaucrats, and our people will be freed. What's more, there shall be a new order under my rule, where the Republic will be view as a Golden Age under my rule."

The Queen nodded silently, her face betraying no emotion, but queried at him when he said 'under his rule'. She shook her head in disgust at that premise. She sighed and bought her head up. "Who else can be nominated?" she asked in her sorrowful, but curious tone.

"Bail Antilles of Alderaan and Ainlee Teem of Malastare." The Captain spoke up with disdain in his voice. He was hoping for the senator to win. He was a pure anti-human activist. He hated anyone who was not human, that was mainly why he hated the Gungun for who he was, and then came the Jedi. He was not a fan of them either.

"I feel confident our 'situation' will create a strong sympathy vote for us." he smiled for a moment, but his face became serious. The pause was meaningful. "This will be a day long remembered in Galactic history, your Highness, as the day that Palpatine assumed control. I will be Chancellor, I promise you."

"You are highly optimistic, senator, as usual." She said plain fully, not hiding her disgust at his suggestion. "I fear by the time you have control of the bureaucrats, senator, there will be nothing left of our cities, our people, our way of life." the Queen said regretfully.

"I understand your concern, Your Majesty; unfortunately, the Federation has possession of our planet." He offered to her. Anakin groaned in silence, but Palpatine heard it, or sensed as he shook his shoulders. "The law is in their favor. I cannot do anything until a new Chancellor has been elected, and then even after that…" He said as meaningful as before, except with a degree of concern and truth.

"With the Senate in transition, there is nothing more I can do here" she sighed, interrupting him and turning away from the window, closing in on the senator. He seemed puzzled by all of this. "Senator, this is your arena. I feel I must return to mine. I have decided to go back to Naboo. My place is with my people."

"Go back!" Palpatine stood up surprised for a moment. He began stuttering in a way that made him feel at a loss. "I—but, Your Majesty, be realistic! You would be in danger. They will force you to sign the treaty, they will commit heinous acts against you to make you do so, it would be suicide…"

Queen Amidala returned with a strong gaze. "I will sign no treaty, Senator. My fate will be no different from that of our people." She turned to her commander of the guards. "Captain!"

"Yes, Your Highness?" he answered, readying himself for any order. He was proud all of a sudden.

"Ready my ship!" the Queen replied with a stern gaze, to make sure that he didn't argue at all with her. She was the authority here, and still her sovereign. The captain bowed and flowed out the door, followed by the other random guards and other the handmaidens. The Senator made one last plea to her, to make her stay. He didn't want to see them go. The Queen turned suddenly, and faced him.

"No place is safe, if the Senate doesn't condemn this invasion." She turned away again, and glanced out the window. Both Palpatine and Anakin felt her sigh in relief, that she was doing the right thing. "It is clear to me now that the Republic no longer functions as a democracy. If you win the election, Senator, I know you will do everything possible to stop the Federation. I pray you will bring sanity and compassion back to the Senate. This is a world that is in need of a dire refrain."

As the Queen disappeared, only Palpatine remained in the room, and he was calm and composed, merely watching as she disappeared. Palpatine mouth twisted into a shrewd smile. Everything was going to plan, and as he had been expecting it.

* * *

Once more, Anakin, Obi-wan and Qui-gon maintained their presence in the centre of the Council Chambers. There is not a moment in the chamber where there is a somber attitude. It was as silent as the grave. Night had begun its slow descent into darkness outside, and that was a feeling, then it was the same within the Council.

Obi-wan knew that the Council had made its decision, and he knew what it was going to be, regardless. They would not train the boy. He had foreseen it. It was an elusive thought, but he knew it to be correct. As with all of the Council, Obi-wan had sensed the boy's powers, and although they were all impressed, he was too dangerous. Why Qui-gon didn't see it he didn't understand himself. A small voice interrupted his thoughts almost immediately.

"...Correct you were, Qui-Gon." Yoda spoke, which made Obi-wans thoughts almost fade immediately. He might have gotten it wrong after all.

Master Windu continued suddenly, his voice firm. "His cells contain a high concentration of midi-chlorians." Even he seemed surprised with what he was saying. "The Force is strong with him. Indeed his power was evidenced by all of us to justify that."

The Jedi Master stood firm, and smiled a small smile. "He's to be trained, then?" Qui-gon asked, hiding his presuming and questioning tone. He was overconfident of himself. Obi-wan would hear it from him soon enough.

There was an uncomfortable silence as the Council members each turned and gazed at each other. Mace Windu seemed to sigh all of a sudden. He returned with a firm glance and voice. "No." he said quietly, but still firm. "He will not be trained."

"No?" Qui-gon repeated in disbelief. He could feel all of the hope fall from Anakin's body. He seemed as shocked and as speechless as the Jedi Master. He turned to Obi-wan but immediately turned, ignoring the I-told-you-so look that was etched within there. Obi-wan began to smile, as if pleased at his predicament. Anakin on the other hand though had expected it, and slowly, now, the Vader side would be unleashed, and they would come to get him, as he had foreseen.

"He is too old." Mace continued, shaking his head.

The Jedi Master couldn't believe it. He was shocked. They had to se it, regardless of his age. "He is the 'Chosen One'." He added silently. "You must see it. His power has only proven that, either over Tatooine, or Coruscant. Even his midi-chlorians are proof of that fact. Why would you deny him the chance of a lifetime to serve with the Jedi? You would allow a boy as powerful as Anakin to return to the Outer Rim, and be hunted by the Sith. He will be hunted by the darkness until it ensnares him. Surely you must see that."

The aged Jedi Master Yoda closed his eyes and searched through the boys feelings. "Clouded, this boy's future is. Masked by his youth. But I sense great fear in him, as if something terrible threatens to come out. Yet clouded it remains. His shields and thoughts are hiding it well; he has masked all of his feelings. Powerful he is indeed, too dangerous though to keep here."

Qui-gon straightened in acceptance of their decision. They were all afraid of him, and he was sure Anakin was thinking the same thing, only what Qui-gon didn't know, as did none of the other Jedi Masters, that Anakin was in face reveling in that fact. Qui-gon then made his choice. "I will train him, then." He approached Anakin from behind and placed his hands on his shoulders. The shock from everyone's face reached him. Especially his padawan. But he seemed to not care that he had just hurt him. "I take Anakin as my Padawan learner."

Yoda seemed almost disgusted by this. He tried to be reasonable. Obi-wan' hurt feelings were obvious there, imprinted on his face. "An apprentice, you have, Qui-Gon. Impossible it is to take on a second."

"We forbid it…" Mace Windu began suddenly, adding a stern look and voice. "The Code forbids it."

Qui-gon declared quickly, to try to reason as well. "Obi-Wan is ready…"

Obi-wan intervened, extremely annoyed that his master would choose and unfounded youth over him. Yet he would support him anyway. "I am ready to face the trials."

Yoda's ears rose suddenly. "Ready so early, are you?" It seemed he almost found this as amusing. "What know you of ready?"

Qui-gon continued, becoming desperate. "He is headstrong...and he has much to learn about the Living Force, but he is capable." He sighed, as if in defeat, yet in recognition of his padawan's skills. "There is little more he will learn from me."

Yoda turned to look at Mace Windu, and connected immediately with him. He then turned back to face Qui-gon. "Our own council we will keep on who is ready." The aged master closed his eyes suddenly. "More to learn, he has." He turned to Anakin who seemed to be almost smilinmg, which confused the aged master considerable. "Young Skywalker's fate will be decided later."

Mace intervened suddenly, becoming concerned. "Now is not the time for this. The Senate is voting for a new Supreme Chancellor. Queen Amidala is returning home, which will put pressure on the Federation, and could widen the confrontation."

Ki-adi-Mundi added in suddenly. "And draw out the Queen's attacker." Mace turned to meet the stare of his fellow Jedi Master. He nodded with respect. "Go with the Queen to Naboo and discover the identity of the dark warrior. This is the clue that we need to unravel the mystery of the Sith."

"The attacker is dead, my lords, he cannot return from the netherworld of the Force." Qui-gon sufficed. "My apprentice and I disposed of him ourselves. He cannot be alive."

"A change in the Force we have felt, Qui-gon." Another of the Master's put in. "there is a strange force at work here, making changes to the presence of the Force as he sees fit to do so. Your attacker is alive, and he will return, for I have seen it."

Qui-gon though would not give up that easily. He was still determined to have Anakin as a Jedi. By any means necessary. "I brought Anakin here; he must stay in my charge. He has nowhere else to go."

The dark skinned master narrowed his eyes at him all of a sudden. He didn't like where this was going. "He is your ward, Qui-Gon, we will not dispute that."

Yoda interceded all of a sudden. "Train him not. Take him with you, but train him not!" his voice was firm. And when he meant something, he meant it. It would not be denied, or refused. "If touched by the Force he is, his power will exceed, and know we will, of your failure to heed our words." Yoda added something else in the end, sensing the discomfort of the three before him. It was all that he could add. "May the Force be with you."

* * *

_Senatorial landing pad – above Coruscant_

Obi-wan Kenobi was in the worst of moods. He was beyond angry, and yet even though he hid his feelings, he felt as if he should just burst out at someone. His master had degraded him before the Council and before him as well, and he knew it. He had opted to take Anakin as his padawan learner when he had already Obi-wan learning from him. He had openly presented his devotion to Anakin, deliberately making Obi-wan be his last priority before the boy.

It didn't bode well for their relationship. Their Jedi bond. Yet all this was worsened by the fact that Qui-gon had been proven wrong, and that Obi-wan was right about the Council's decision about the boy.

As they had made their plans to leave that very night, Anakin had made an attempt to speak with Obi-wan about the Council. Although he was purely Sith inside of him, Anakin still wanted Obi-wan to teach him, and to also be the one who would kill him in the end. Anakin was hoping for a lot, but if his previous reaction was like to him now, then they would never be partnered. And for once, he was right, even as he had approached the padawan; he had merely blown him off as the one who had made this division between padawan and Master even more tenuous.

They had made their way directly to the platform where Padme and her entourage were unloading off of their air taxi, and making their way towards the shuttle. The one thing about this platform, was that it was connected to one of the main buildings within the main city. Anakin was told that it was expressly proposed by Palpatine for the Queen to use, and that alone made him think. Why?

The building was one of the tallest within the city. Anakin had heard that it supposedly dealt with the sanitation of Coruscant. Mainly this was alone the food and the garbage disposals of the city. Apparently it was their boss's private docking bay, and he had his own private ship placed there, and he was allowing the Queen to use it as well. What Anakin had heard was that he was a Naboo by blood, and that he owed his allegiance to the Queen.

As they had departed, Obi-wan and Qui-gon had made their way over to the ship in the midst of a heated discussion. Anakin smiled cunningly, he hadn't had a plan in mind yet, but he would just see how well his division in the tow Jedi. He strained to hear what they were saying, and caught some of the conversation as he saw the Queen approach in her ship.

"It is not disrespect, Master," Obi-wan stated, pleading with his master to accept it. "It is the truth. They have felt his power, and can't risk training him. The boy is dangerous. They all sense it. Why can't you?"

Qui-gon turned to his apprentice and stalled in his stride. "That is all from your point of view Obi-wan. He is powerful indeed, but he is not dangerous." The Jedi Master swore at his apprentice, making him fall into a more reserved state. He calmed himself down and regained his composure, staring adversely at Obi-wan. "His fate is uncertain, not dangerous. The Council will decide Anakin's fate. That should be enough for you, my padawan."

He turned away dismissively as the Queen's barge docked. "Now get on board."

Anakin saw Obi-wan surrender himself in defeat, and wheel around without second glancing his master, or even making a small glance at him, and walked towards the ship, leaving in a disgusted attitude at his master's approach to the situation. Qui-gon could feel his pain at his betrayal and what it was doing to his apprentice. Soon he would have to make amends, and to patch up the wrongdoings.

He sighed as he closed his eyes. Shaking his head lightly he thought of what to do about Obi-wan, and came up with nothing. Before him though, a small, backwards voice spoke to him. "Apologize you should, Qui-gon."

The Jedi Master opened his eyes and saw that Yoda was before him. "Make amends at the disgrace that has befallen between you and your padawan. Betrayed him, you have."

Before Qui-gon could speak, he gazed at the other Jedi who had come with Yoda. He was not sure why they were there, but had rough ideas. He saw Mace was there, talking with the Queen. Besides them though, there were three others. Qui-gon couldn't see them through the darkness, but he had to assume correctly that they were Master Depa Billaba, Jedi Knight Yalt and his padawan, Echelon.

"Master Yoda," Qui-gon muttered silently as he approached the gaed Jedi Master, he barely glimpsed at the others surrounding him. "Come to see us off have you?"

Yoda barely smiled, but mastered a grumble. "Hardly, Qui-gon." He paused and walked over to the edge, allowing the Queen and her entourage to pass unhindered. She cast a quick glance at Qui-gon, but he didn't return it and merely stared at the master before him. Yoda sighed, sorry for what he was about to do. "Come to reappoint you, we have."

Qui-gon stood steady for the moment, not believing what he had just heard. He was being replaced by some other Jedi, all because of his beliefs. Although he knew why, he decided to play dumb. "Why Master?" he began, "What have I done that has made you so…changed against my beliefs?"

"Anakin." Yoda said calmly. "You believe him to be the Chosen One of the Jedi prophecy." He could tell that Qui-gon was about to speak, but he silenced him quickly. "The Chosen One the boy may be, but nevertheless, grave fear I sense in his training. Arrogant and powerful he has already become. Twisted inside he is. There is a darkness that sits, waiting to strike out at us." he shook his head. "Fear I sense in him. Grave danger."

He pointed his stick at Qui-gon who merely stood, watching him silently. But he let Yoda continue to speak. "Hurt your padawan have you. Endangered your bond is with him. Between you and him, your own personal feelings and fortunes have you put ahead. In danger, you are, of losing apart of yourself. Only wider I sense this breech will come."

"What must I do Master?" Qui-gon asked.

"Make peace with him you must, until he is read." Yoda started, and as he peered into the sorrowful face of Qui-gon, he could feel a small darkness approaching him, as if consuming him. "Darkness will come because of it if you heed this n..."

He was interrupted suddenly by a massive fireball exploding near the ship, imploding much of the front portion of it. A few scattered cries from the guards and crew circulated through the air, pieces of the ship falling into the abyss of the city below. Qui-gon and the Jedi hit the ground hard, and as he rolled over, he examined the ship, seeing only a few survivors flowing down the ramp. _'Obi-wan.'_ He immediately thought. He couldn't lose his padawan now, not after all that they had been through.

Next though, something surprised them all. Yoda mused to himself, and as if on tune, the entire building's lights went out, as if it had been well timed. The only light that was visible came off the other buildings and the fire of the ship. The seven Jedi immediately made their way over to the ship and the survivors of the explosion. Yoda stood still as he came over to find the body of Obi-wan lying amid the debris. He had been knocked unconscious by the blast.

"Bad feeling I have about this." Yoda said. "Not natural blackout, I feel. Staged this was to get our attention away from something else."

"Who could have done this master?" the padawan asked as if on cue.

Yoda sighed, and closed his eyes, feeling through the Force. "The darkness is deepening. Coming closer, I feel."

Even as he said that, the large doors on the far end of the platform opened up, revealing a bright light from within, and illuminating the surface of the landing pad. All eyes turned towards that specific area as it was the only light within the top half of the building that was working. It was blinding their senses as well, but they could clearly make out a small figure, clothed in black, watching them silently.

Qui-gon focused in, and next to him, Mace as well started. Obi-was, who was waking up from all of the light which had made his snap to attention, brought his eyes to strain against the light. The cloaked figure slowly gazed up, his yellow eyes staring steadily ahead. His red face was tattooed with black Sith marks, as if initiating him into the order. Although it was not a way that he was born, it added to the temperament of the cloaked figure, it made him look even deadlier, enshrouding him within the darkness that had been bred into him.

The Jedi stared at him, not understanding what was happening. They all felt Qui-gon tense up as he made his way forward slowly, gaining a slow position of power and prestige. He was baiting the Jedi to come against him. The Queen was right in front of him. He probably could have killed her in one quick movement if that were his objective. But instead he was staring at the Jedi, all of them.

Qui-gon was surprised by his daring attitude. He was never after the Queen at all. Either he was after the Jedi for a reason, or he was after Anakin. The Jedi Master stepped forward, removing his cloak, letting it fall to the ground. "I'll handle this," Qui-Gon said calmly, expecting something like this to happen again.

Next to him Master Billaba motioned forward as well, taking his cloak off, and standing tall. He nodded to Qui-gon and stared straight ahead. "I shall help you." Qui-gon nodded back, and they approached the dark figure slowly, meeting him halfway along the thin walkway that led from the building to the landing pad.

'Two Masters,' Maul thought as he saw them approach him. He had expected someone else than Qui-gon and Master Billaba. He would be a new fighter that he would have to add to his lists of killings. Qui-gon he knew, and he knew all of his moves, but the other Jedi Master would be a challenge, and he would learn from it quickly. 'This is going to be extremely changeling, and exciting.' He thought as he took off his hood, and let his cloak fall to the ground.

The Jedi watched as the dark figure became bathed in the light. They noticed his devilish horns sticking out of his head, and noticed that he was a Zabrak, which was not surprising at all since the Sith had always used their race as a soldier, or cannon fodder. Qui-gon knew that he had lost his saber, having taken it and presented it to the Jedi Council earlier in the day. But what he didn't know was that Maul had another one on him.

The Zabrak smiled, revealing his true intentions to the Jedi. He quickly drew his weapon, holding it horizontally and igniting it. After a beat, he ignited the other side, so that both were glowing lethally in red. This added to his lethal stance, making him a powerful fighter. He was skilled in all of the forms of lightsaber fighting, excelling especially in Form VII, which allowed him to draw on emotions from the dark side, making him far more stronger than was originally thought.

Qui-gon had fought against it before, and knew immediately what he was up against. But he wondered if the Sith did know that he was facing two Jedi Masters now, not a padawan and a Master. They were both equally preserved in the Force. 'The Sith certainly had confidence,' Qui-gon thought hard. No matter, he would match it with his own. Together the two Jedi flipped out their sabers, and ignited them, presenting two green blades emanating from a small cylindrical object.

Maul sneered, and smiled juicily. Grabbing his double-bladed lightsaber with both of his hands, he twirled it around, and came forward to meet the two Jedi.

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Please Review.

Mainly fighting next chapter, and after it, Qui-gon thinks on his future within the Jedi Order.

Please review.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Fate

Disclaimer: The Phantom Menace novelization will be used throughout this story. My apologies to Terry Brooks for this breach of conduct, and to Lucas Arts. Most of the dialogue of this chapter is taken from the film and script, even the novelization. I apologize for any inconvenience.

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Anakin Skywalker was watching the amazing display of fighting before him as it ground to a small halt with the three combatants taking a nervous breath before continuing. They seemed to size each other up before they continued, spinning and jabbing at each other as much as possible. The young boy watched as they disappeared further into the lit up corridor, falling out of view. At first when he had seen the vengeful Maul appear in the door, he had assumed that he was going to be taken by him, something that he might have enjoyed, just to be away from the Jedi Order and their failings. In a way, they were a tainted Order, and they would fail again, only this time, it would be juicier.

In the far distance he watched as the three combatants made their last attempt at being seen fighting, as Maul had commander the door to close, blacking their fight from the view of the Jedi and others present. As this was happening he saw that Palpatine had a fixed gaze on the combatants, and as he peered through his mind, he read that he had expected Maul to fail, but, as it was a surprise, within a few seconds that was deemed to change.

Besides the door there were some large giant windows, and they stood out among the rest of the building. What they didn't expect was what had happened next. It was immediately after the door had closed that the glass had shattered on one of the windows, and as the Jedi saw it, one of the combatants made a frightening scream, and was pushed out of the window, falling to his doom. Anakin averted his gaze as the scream filled his mind, pulsing into his ear. As soon as it was over, he returned his gaze to the window, and peered into it.

Qui-gon went in for the attack, parrying his stroke underarm of Maul, but he broke away, and blocked the attack, spinning as he brushed it aside. The duel intensified as neither combatant could penetrate the other's defenses. The Jedi Master seemed to swell in anger as he felt the death of his fellow Master. Maul on the other hand, absorbed the pain of the Jedi, and fed off of it, making him explode more and attack with a greater degree of focus. Qui-gon had attempted to slip the blade in half, but found himself on the defensive as he was pushed further back into the darkened building.

Without warning though, Maul shut off one side of his blade, sending Qui-gon falling forward as the extinguished side was what he was hoping to hit. Maul bought the other side to bear down on him, but Qui-gon parried it away, slicing a clean stroke against the dark figures arm. Maul winced in pain for the moment, retreating into the end of the hallway. Qui-gon followed him, and as he raised his saber for a great strike, he met the gaze of a gloved hand, and fell to the ground. He has to call upon the force to jump back up upon his feet, but as he does so, he sees Maul cut the controls to activate the door. Spinning his blade between his hands, he entered the darkened room, and disappeared.

Qui-gon jumped up, and made his way into the room, slowly pacing as he determined to stretch out with his senses against where Maul would be. The bay window on the far side of the wall let in little light, and as the door closed, they were encased together in complete darkness. The Sith Lord was hoping that with the Jedi stretching out with his senses against every region of the room, he would be able to strike easily against him. But it was not to be so, for as soon as he had revealed himself, Qui-gon was ready. There were only a few parrying strikes, and soon, once more, Maul had disappeared.

Qui-gon stretched out with his senses, calling to him all of his Force power to survey the room. He could find a small amount of furniture, including chairs, couches and a small desk by the window. He approached that slowly, and stared out of it, watching as the traffic passed outside. He breathed in slightly, and then turned. He was revealing himself against the window, illuminating his figure. As the Jedi Master narrowed his eyes, he searched the room. He couldn't find the dark Sith Lord, but he knew that he was still here.

"Show yourself." He stated silently to himself, getting frustrated with this small game that they were playing. He had already killed one Jedi Master, and there were still many left for him to choose from, yet he had clearly chosen Qui-gon as his prey.

From nowhere came a small, but silent voice. "Give yourself to the Dark Side."

Qui-gon grunted at that statement. "Not likely," He half jokingly put it. "Give into the Light, and redeem yourself."

There was an abated silence for a moment, but soon a reply came. "The darkness gives me strength. It is more powerful than the light. Come with me, and I will show you the true meaning of the Force."

"The Dark Side is not a path that I will choose willingly." Qui-gon stammered into the darkness, aware that Maul was increasingly coming closer to his position.

Maul was silently moving forward, still incased within the darkness of the room. He was bathing in what was hiding him, not able to be seen. He had placed his Force presence down really low, and silently moved forward like he was trained. "The Dark Side is the path to many abilities that some would consider to be unnatural." Maul spoke out, his tone almost a whisper. "Killing you will be a pleasure, old Jedi."

It only took a moment, but Qui-gon had to move fast. Maul struck at him with such audacity and speed that he had hardly the time to comprehend the movements. Next to them the window broke as the sabers connected with it, letting in the fresh, cool air to relieve the tension within the room. The wind added nothing to the promise for an end to a quick fight. Maul had only one side lit up, and he attacked the Jedi once more, this time on an equal par.

Maul strikes mercilessly forcing Qui-gon steadily back until they are fighting atop one of the many tables within the room, in an almost spectacular vies they began to spin their sabers around their bodies, becoming intensely motivated to fight harder. Simultaneously they struck out against each other, connecting their blades in a fit of rage and anger, choosing not to back down. Yte it was Maul who had the upper hand, and in an instant, he let loose a small Force push, knocking Qui-gon back down to the floor. Maul smiled, and jumped high into the air, and ramming himself down upon the Jedi, with his saber ready for the strike.

Qui-gon was thrown down yet again for the second time in the duel he and the Sith Lord were having in the small little office. He regained his composure for a moment, and saw Maul above him, coming into view, readying to strike against the Jedi, and to thrust his saber through his heart. As he prepared for his inevitable fate, Qui-gon closed his eyes and waited for the strike that never came. It took a moment, but he knew something was wrong. Opening up his eyes he saw a blue saber blocking the downward thrust of the red blade. On the other end of it though he saw his padawan, standing strong and tall among the darkened room.

"Obi-wan!" he screamed in recognition, letting the compassion fall free of his voice. He was never so happy to see his apprentice save him.

"Master." Obi-wan put in, muttering to himself. He knew Qui-gon deserved that, for he was still angry at him for placing Anakin before him, but that didn't bother him as much anymore. This fight is what mattered, and he had to put those feelings aside and concentrate on the now.

Maul smiled a he felt the rage emanating off of the padawan. Obi-wan struck at him, his saber swinging in the air. Maul blocked his attack with one side of his saber, and with the other he parried against the younger Force user. He attacked the Jedi ferociously, leaving him little room to maneuver around against both sides of the saber. Yet the Jedi blocked every single attack that he made. Although they were both in the prime of their fighting, Maul was more skilled in the art, and Obi-wan was younger, fitter and healthier.

The sabers melted together, and screeched as they hit each other. They both used their strength to enhance their position, but Obi-wan was struggling to commit himself fully to the task at hand. "You're not trying hard enough, young one," Maul stated. "You have hate, and you have anger. And you're holding them back. Yet you don't use them. Why?" he sneered at the end. "Unleash your anger."

"Never," Obi-wan stated weakly.

"Commit yourself to the Dark Side," Maul chastised in a hissing tone of voice. "Attack me, but hold nothing back. You must commit yourself fully to this game. Attack Kenobi. Use your hidden powers…unleash your anger."

Obi-wan seemed to falter, and Maul began to smile. Behind him though a voice rang out from the distance. "Don't listed to him Obi-wan." It said. "It is a lie to bring you in, and twist you into something that your not."

"Don't listen to him, Obi-wan," Maul chastised. "If you do then you are just proving that you are weak. Anger is the path to true power."

"No Obi-wan." The voice pleaded. "He will just use you. You will become a tool of the Sith. You are a Jedi."

Obi-wan nodded to himself. He was in the midst of an internal struggle. He didn't know if he would choose the light, or choose the dark. He screwed up his face; he didn't know what to choose. Maul seemed to be winning through though. But even as he felt the power of the Dark Side rise through the young Jedi, he felt it flushed out of his system. He bought his head up in shock, only to be met by a hard fist which slammed into his face, ramming his nose backwards into his head. He fell down off the table, and slammed into the couch, knocking it to the floor.

"No," Obi-wan stated firmly. "I am a Jedi. I am of the light side. I will not fail in my mission to protect the Queen, even from myself. But for you to get to her you will have to get through me."

Maul stood up proudly, intrigued in the defence that was being offered by the young padawan. Indeed he had expected little from him, but this was much more amusing. The Sith Lord began to laugh out loud, echoing it through the room, and outside to the landing pad. He was surprised, indeed. But the Jedi knew nothing of what was going on. "You know nothing of the Sith," Maul began, laughing harder. "The Queen is an easy target; I would have had her in an instant if I had not been tasked with something else on that ship."

Obi-wan started, and he felt Qui-gon suddenly rise up, and make his way to stand beside him, readying himself for the inevitable conflict. What did he mean though? There was something in his voice that said that he was not after the Queen. Obi-wan thought. Who was he after then? It took a moment, but then it settled in. _Anakin_.

"You will not get him Sith," Obi-wan said defiantly, as far as he could muster his courage. "You will have to go through me first."

Maul saw Obi-wan and Qui-gon suddenly ignite their sabers. The Sith Lord smiled as he saw this, and although he was outnumbered, he was not outmatched. He could defeat these two Sith Lords easily, or as his Sith Master had said, he would have to die trying, and then would his achievement be a successful. But it didn't matter if he died, for he would just be reincarnated once more. Straightening himself, he faced the Jedi with a perfect hand. Nodding his head, he bought his saber before him, igniting it, emitting the two deadly red blades in a simultaneous action.

The Jedi circled around the Sith Lord, blocking off his escape. In an instant they were on him, attacking him from both sides, but he had them at a disadvantage. Maul felt a parrying attack at his head, and as he turned suddenly and met the parried attack head on, blocking it and pushing the young padawan away. Qui-gon simultaneously engaged the dark figure once more, pushing him out side of the room and into the hallway. Qui-gon dutifully stepped and moved into a defensive position, as was the way of the Jedi. Obi-wan came back in for another attack, attacking head on. They pushed their way into the hallway, blinded by the light, and relying on their senses for a moment before their sight returned. Maul spun the saber in his hands, and the proceeded to block all of the attacks that the Jedi made against him. Holding his saber vertically, he successfully blocked both attacks from the Jedi, their blades each hitting one of his.

He sneered and spun out of the way, clearing some space between them. It only took a moment, but the Jedi followed him, attacking his flanks. They continued their averaging strikes against their attacker, closing in on him from both sides, but he was more than a match from them like that. He had power enough to counter all of their assaults. He parried his blade, only to be counter attacked by two saber blades, green and blue. He knew he was outmatched in this small space, so as he retreated to the door, he casually walked outside, spinning his blade once more, and the Jedi chased him.

The Jedi and the Naboo on the platform turned as they saw the door open once more only to reveal the Jedi. There was a small gasp that came from Anakin and some of the guards as they saw what was happening to them. The three combatants made it across their bridge, halting in the middle of it. Maul kicked Qui-gon out of the way, knocking him to the ground, and faced Obi-wan alone. Mace saw this and made a stared approach to intervene, but was stopped by Yoda's cane. Obi-wan and Mual smiled at each other, and in an instant the Dark Lord was on the ground, blocking the attacks of Obi-wan the elder Jedi. In frustration he emerged again, thrusting himself up into the air, and landing behind the Jedi, though several feet up on the buildings edge. The Jedi followed him, and challenged him on either side of him.

The ledge was small, but Maul maneuvered around it well. The Jedi had to use their connection to the Force to steady themselves. They attacked together, attempting to outmaneuver the Sith Lord. But Maul was not to be guile, and he struck back with such audacity and strength that he beat the Jedi at their own game, attacking them. With a push of the Force, he proceeded to shove Obi-wan away from the fight, leaving him and Qui-gon together to do battle. Obi-wan fell the several feet, hitting the walkway hard, and then rolling over to begin dangling off of the edge. He screamed out in pain, and Maul sneered as he counter attacked the Jedi's movements.

The Sith pressed hard, striking again and again with his crimson blade, pouring out energy from his seemingly limitless presence. He struck hard, making Qui-gon almost lose his balance against the indomitable creature. Obi-wan stared up above him as he saw his master and the devil fighting, and saw that the Jedi Master had met his match. Qui-gon had been well trained, but this Sith Lord was better than anything else that had yet been achieved. Obi-wan mustered all of the strength that he could and sprang up, landing on the platform. Retrieving his lightsaber from the ground, he peered upwards and saw the fighting, slowly falling back to the edge of the building. Lunging himself upwards through the Force he landed somewhere behind Qui-gon, and the proceeded to walk to catch up with the Jedi and the Sith Lord. It was at that moment that Maul did something bizarre.

Even as Obi-wan reached the jutting edge of the top of the building, the Dark Lord parried an attack from the Jedi Master. He stared to below him, and saw the gazing face of Palpatine staring up at him. The Dark Lord smiled, and as Obi-wan caught up with them, and sent a killing blow through the air, he leaped off the edge, astonishing all of the Jedi, and proceeded to head for the senator. This surprised even him, and as Maul landed hard, he rolled over, and in a complete different circumstance, he ignited one side of his saber, cutting off one of his masters hands.

Palpatine screamed in agony, and as he fell to the ground, the Jedi on the room immediately followed him, running hard to catch up. Mace and the other Jedi had not expected this to happen, and they drew their sabers they approached the Dark Lord, and struck at him. But Maul was ready for them, and in an instant he had deflected all of their blades, and in a quick gesture of hate, he released one of his gloved hands, sending the Jedi flying through the air, and almost off of the walkway.

One the Jedi were out of the way Maul turned back to his master, and approached him slowly, a look of deadly pleasure springing from it. Palpatine seemed helpless, and he feigned to run off, not wanting his dream to end like this, but he stared Maul in the face, and screwed it up at him. 'What are you doing?' he sent though the Force.

Maul smiled. 'It needs to be convincing, doesn't it?' he replied, earning a queer glance from Maul as he extinguished one side of his saber. 'and besides, the True Sith will arise again with my help, and soon, your reign will be at an end, and I will be victorious over you, my master.' Palpatine had no time to scream, but as the Dark Lord raised his hands, and Maul his saber to complete killing his master, a small red blade threw itself through the abdomen of the Sith Lord. Maul faltered for a moment, and turned to see who it was that was sticking a red blade though him.

As he turned he saw the young boy, with his saber, sticking his blade though him. That was Maul' first blade, and now the child somehow had it, and was using it against him. Ignoring what the Sith had said, he swiftly turned and faced the child. Anakin held the blade nervously in his hand and merely pointed it at Maul. He silently hoped that some of his lightsaber training would return to him. The Dark Lord approached him, and as he lifted his blade in a downward thrust, Anakin struck once more, making a perfect block.

As the Jedi rose up, they saw this, and could not believe their eyes. Anakin had blocked the saber of the Dark Lord, and he was protecting the senator. Qui-gon merely stared in anticipation as he saw Anakin make his moves. Near him he could feel all of the other Jedi stare at what they thought was impossible. Maul sprang up and lunged with one last powerful down stroke, Anakin merely countered with his blade, and as their blades met, it was basically over. In what seemed only a small second of how long it took Maul to make that parrying stroke, Anakin had swung his blade, deflected Mauls blade, with the other side proceeded to cut into the Dark Lords body, making a smooth horizontal cut through the Sith's torso. Confusion reigned through his eyes as he couldn't believe the shock that was issuing from him. There was pain, and anger at his loss; and as the dark lord tumbled backward, the two halves of his body, a small message sprang through his head_. 'Remember this fight Maul, when you dare to fight one such as Vader again.'_ The body clattered down into the vast abyss of the city below.

Anakin stood there for a moment, unaware of what he had just done. Falling to his knees, with his saber in his hands, he collapsed to the ground. Behind him a number of the Jedi and the hand maidens sprang towards him, swooning over him.

Far above the city though, away from all of their fights and troubles, a lone figure watched, clothed in black, and wearing a hood. Like Maul he was a red coloured figure, but not of the same race. One more ancient, and more powerful. What he had to now was return to his residence, with the body of the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Maul, and proceed to make amends for his failure, or his triumph. Either way, he wins. Yet he had to explain to his master that he had failed to get the boy, and that Palpatine knew about who Maul was serving.

And that now, above all things else, it was going to be harder than ever to succeed where all of the Sith had failed.

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_Next Day – Jedi Temple_

Qui-gon sat on the edge of the seat in the Queens chambers, brimming over the past days. The events of the previous night had just been discussed by the Council within their honorary meeting to discuss the fate of young Skywalker. It had just been decided, even though through his action of saving everyone from the Sith Lord, and especially saving Palpatine, they were still deciding to send Anakin home to Tatooine, as they deemed him dangerous.

They were not sending him away because of his unique skill with a lightsaber, and they were not sending him away because of his talent with the Force. Indeed the Council had recognized that he was powerful, and that it needed to be curbed. They had actually though of introducing an Ysalamari induced drug into the system of the young boy to attempt to curb the young boys powers. But Qui-gon himself had stepped in in the end and prevented them from doing so. What had made them believe that Anakin was dangerous was beyond his comprehension. Indeed Yoda saw right through the boy, and sensed the fear that he had, and also, besides that, Master Windu didn't trust Anakin.

But yet most of the other Masters, and some of the other Jedi, including Obi-wan, padawan Echelon and his master, Yalt, they had all accepted that there was something special about the boy. But the true power was held by the majority of the council, of whom, seven out of twelve had said that Anakin had to go. Still, to Qui-gon, it was an undermining quality of his power, and his status had been diminished because of his actions regarding young Skywalker.

The one thing though that they had done to curb more of his resentment was the fact that the Jedi Council was sending Anakin back to Tatooine, and it was on this that Qui-gon's defiance stemmed out. It was by the will of the Force that he be spared. He was able to thank the Force that Anakin was safe, but he cursed the Jedi Order for not listening to him. There was only one good thing that had come out of this whole debacle, and that was the fact that Obi-wan had been granted his Knighthood.

And to ease the temperament of Qui-gon, the Council had decided to go ahead with it immediately, in a small private session within the Jedi Council chambers. The Jedi Master struggled to remember his Knighthood all those years ago, under whom he had been trained by Jedi Master Dooku. He was pleased that they were doing this, but he was still displeased that Anakin was not being given a second chance in all of this.

Qui-gon mind was wandering, so he failed to notice the return of the Queen whom he had seen only previously. She came around the corner with her handmaiden, Padme, and when they saw that Qui-gon was in their chambers, they couldn't believe it. "Master Jedi!" the Queen exclaimed, dragging the Jedi Master out of his trance. "Thank the Force that you amd Obi-Wan are okay. I was worried when we had not heard from you in the past day. We didn't hear anything of you at all and..."

She was cut off by Qui-gon sighing and speaking out loud. "My apologies, Your Highness, but I have come to you under the gravest of circumstances." There was definitely sorrow in his voice.

The Queen stared at him, and Padme did as well. She sensed something that the Queen didn't and raised her voice to what she felt was wrong. "It's Anakin, isn't it?" she inquired, her tone questioning and curious.

Qui-gon couldn't stifle the small nod that he gave, and then stood in a sturdy gaze. "Even after the events of last night, as we had all seen Anakin's skill with the Force and a lightsaber," he began, making sure that they were still listening. "The Jedi Council has still decided against allowing Anakin to be trained as a Jedi. I don't think that it would be prudent for him to return to Tatooine in this way, therefore I thought that you might be of some help."

"Go on." She stated firmly, nodding her head in assent.

Qui-gon nodded and continued. "As far as I am aware, he doesn't have any other relatives that are alive, or at all besides his mother." He sighed as he continued, bracing himself for the worst. "I was hoping that you'd allow him to return to Naboo with you and find some sort of foster family for him there where he can live out the rest of his days."

The Queen just stood still for a moment, as if a huge weight had been added to her by his suggestion. Beside her, her handmaiden began to talk into her ear, giving her some advice on the matter. The Queen seemed to like this idea, and she began to smile. "If that is his wish, to be near Padme and myself, we could provide for him. But it should be his choice. In all though, having him live on Naboo would be no problem at all. It should be no problem, although, I am at a loss to see that the Jedi have not taken an interest in him."

"As am I, Your Majesty," Qui-gon added in a concerned voice. As he started to back out of the door he remained in a standing ovation before her. He bowed to her courteously. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I am sure that Anakin will be pleased, and hopefully he accepts this fate that the Force has given him. May the Force be with you."

"And with you Master Jedi." The Queen said honoring the Jedi's customary parting. She noticed his disappear out the door, and then wandered back to her chambers to talk with Padme.

As he walked down the hallways of the senatorial offices and apartments, he began to walk down towards the lift. He still had much on his mind, and he was pleased with that little provocation with what the Queen would be offering Anakin, especially as a place in Naboo would be better than Tatooine. For a start anyway, he was sure that Anakin would not like to go back to Tatooine, as it held bad memories for him.

Walking down one of the many staircases, he entered the main corridor and fell into line with a man, who he absent mindedly bumped into. Qui-gon studied the man, and noticed that he had dark eyes, and was extremely tall with white hair and a severely straight posture. The man was swearing out loud, but as they stared at each other they noticed who they were. For Qui-gon, it was his old master, Dooku. The older man, Dooku looked up at him, recognition instant on his face, then there suddenly appeared a great smile.

As they smiled, they embraced each other, the Count and the Jedi Master, embracing in a tight hug of comradeship. Dooku was almost ecstatic, having left the order earlier in the year to return to his family estate which he had inherited. "Qui-gon Jinn, my old Padawan." The ex-Jedi beamed at him. "How are you doing? It has been such a long time."

Qui-gon smiled back, though his lasted only a short amount of time. The older man noticed this, and immediately went grave and looked at him sorrowfully. "Something seems to be bothering you my friend." He queried in a serious, but caring tone. "Anything you'd like to talk about?"

Qui-Gon sighed, he didn't want to talk about it again, and as far as he knew, Dooku would have known all about it, having still kept up his contacts with Master Yoda and Mace Windu, and other Masters within the Order. Qui-gon shook his head. "No, my old friend." He motioned silently. "There is nothing that I cannot handle about this problem. I can fix it if I may, though I do not know how to go about it."

"Perhaps I can help?" he asked in a supportive way, his tone still commanding.

Qui-gon smiled heartily. "I don't think that you can."

"Oh, come now Qui-gon," Dooku said in a overbearing way. "We have been through so much together, and surely a bit more time together will do some things for our friendship. Yet, besides this, I believe that I may be able to help you. now come on, reveal all that you know to me."

"It is more of a Jedi business problem; and you won't be interest in that."

"Now here comes the interesting part, my young friend," the elder man began to say, his tne lowering and persuasive. "I have in fact become a Jedi liaison between the newly elected Chancellor of the Republic, Senator Palpatine, and the Jedi Council."

"Palpatine was elected as Chancellor," Qui-gon mused. Dooku nodded. "Perhaps he can help with my problem then."

"And I can't?" Dooku began to say in a sorrowful tone. "I feel hurt."

"Oh no," Qui-gon started, but restated his words. "You can, but I think that you won't know how to deal with it. you have not met Anakin yet, and it seems you might not…"

"Anakin?" The old man now mused to himself, thinking where he had heard the name from. "Isn't that the young boy who is extremely powerful in the Force, both mentally and physically, and kill—defeated that apparent Sith Lord last night?"

"Yes it is." Qi-gon answered in a curious and speculative tone. "How did you know about that?"

"Yoda told me, and also that I have picked up a few things." Dooku began, and continued in a lower tone. "I have also heard that he has been refused the Jedi mantle twice, and besides that, you have been degraded as a Jedi yourself. With all of the promise that the boy shows, and all of the future that he might present, he just could be the key to saving us all. I have heard that you think that he is the 'Chosen One', and I also know that many of the Jedi think this as well, mainly because of them seeing him use his powers. Personally, if he is the Chosen One, then he should be let into the Jedi Order. His power is only proof of that."

"But the Council refuses to train him because he is too old," Qui-gon offered, making his master's eyebrow lift up. "And also because they fear him."

"They fear him?"

"Yes." Qui-gon returned. "Well Yoda and Mace mainly. I don't know what any of the other Master's really think?"

"They are all entitled to their own opinions, my old padawan," Dooku offered. "And those opinions will also lead to their downfall. As you know, the Republic is full of corruption and scandal. People are only looking out for themselves. Besides this though, we now have knowledge that the Sith have returned, and there is an apparent 'Chosen One' among us as you say. Like the Republic, the Jedi Order is failing, and it is falling into obscurity, it has lost its…relevance, you might say. It is time for a change."

"What are you saying." The Jedi Maser inquired.

Dooku continued. "What I am saying my young padawan is that maybe you should come and exclusively work for the Chancellor, or even for me." Qui-gon's eyes peaked at that moment, not understanding what his old master meant. "The Chancellor has hired me for some executive decisions and orders that I have to follow. You see, the Chancellor and I have been working together for sometime now, and together we have discovered many things out about the Sith. We have our own resources, and together we have discovered that a Sith Lord, going by the name of Darth Sidious is gaining a stronger hold within the Republic, and he has so far received a stronger hold on the Senate to this day. Palpatine suspects that he may be one of the Senators who support him."

"Are you asking me to work for you, to be your spy?" Qui-gon asked with a curious and serious face.

"I know of your skill, Qui-gon. You are both wise and energetic. You are the best Jedi that I have ever trained, and to that I will say that I think you deserve better." He paused for a moment and studied his old padawan. "To that end I will say that you can either come a work for me, and forget your sorrows, and use it too your advantage, or else you can leave the Order, and wallow in self pity for the remainder of your days."

"I will think about it, my old friend." Qui-gon said as his old master simply walked away.

"See to it that you do." Dooku added as he disappeared into the corridor around the corner, leaving Qui-gon with something to think about.

* * *

It was night in the Naboo city of Theed, the streets were quiet save for the seldom passing battle droid patrols, and the occasional fight between the Underground Resistance and the Trade Federation. Nute Gunray had increased his hold upon the planet, starting to use executions of those captured as an example to those who would defy their order. Yet this had done nothing but start up a higher and firmer resistance in the belief of freedom, and that their Queen would triumph.

The leader of the Trade Federation, Nute Gunray, and his deputy, Rune Haako, stood together in the empty hall, opposite the hologram of Darth Sidious, the Sith Lord whom had hired them to do his bidding. Naboo wasn't his first choice, but they had suggested it as they knew that the Sith Lord could use Palpatine to his advantage. They didn't actually know that Sidious and Palpatine were actually the same person.

The dark figure rose before them, cloaked in his dark cowl and hood. He smiled menacingly at his two tools of corruption. He breathed in slightly, which made the air in the room disappear slightly. "The Queen is on her way to you," he intoned his voice into a low stammer. "She has served her full purpose in this engagement. I regret she is of no further use to us. When she gets there, eliminate her."

"Yes, my Lord," Nute replied, but paused and questioned the Sith Lord. "What of the Jedi who are aiding her, my Lord? Shall we dispose of them?"

The dark figure pressed his lips together in annoyance. The Jedi were always interfering. "They are of no bother," he exclaimed in his monotone voice. "Master Qui-gon Jinn and his padawan, now Knight Kenobi have been released from this assignment. Master Yalt and her padawan, Echelon have replaced them. They are weak, and not fit for this assignment, you should find that disposing of them will be easy."

The Trade Federation Viceroy smiled as he heard this. Like his employer, he hated the Jedi for interfering in everything. Why they didn't let everything just run their course he didn't know. He paused in thought when Sidious continued.

"Is the planet secure Viceroy?" his low voice asked.

"Yes, my Lord," he pressed back, quickly answering in a definitive way as to not upset him. "We have taken over the last pockets of primitive life forms. We are in complete control of the planet now."

The faceless speaker nodded in triumph. His plan was succeeding. "Good. I will see to it that in the Senate, things stay as they are, like the Queen, Palpatine has outlived his usefulness." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Unfortunately for me, Lord Maul failed to get the Queen, and he dearly paid for it with his life. I am therefore sending to you another of my minions, a Sith Acolyte named Aurelius. He will deal with the Jedi."

Both Rune and Nute hesitantly bowed at this suggestion. "Yes, my Lord," Nut fired back as he saw the hologram disappear. As it did so, they stared at each other, not believing that a Sith Lord was coming to them, to aid in their fight.

Far away though, on a city wide planet, Darth Sidious rocked in his chair, he had thought of it and had decided that he needed a new apprentice. Aurelius was too uncharacteristic for his liking, and didn't deserve to be counted among their number. Dooku had accepted his assignment from the Chancellor with ease and temperament. Besides this though, he was useful. Most likely he would choose him as his new apprentice.

What Dooku had told him of Qui-gon's decision played through his mind. It was not so long ago that Kenobi was knighted, and then Qui-gon had announced that he would be leaving the Jedi Order to work with his former master, and for the Chancellor. He was a great loss to the Jedi, but a useful gain for him. Qui-gon and Dooku would come in use in the future, but for now, they would be needed to watch over young Skywalker who was on his way back to Tatooine.

Supposedly that was why Qui-gon had left the Order. And with good reason too. The Jedi were blind to what they saw right before them. Anakin was so much more useful than he had originally thought. But besides this though, he had seen through the strong Force-deception that Palpatine had over him, and had unlocked his Sith identity. How he did that he would never know, but he would find out soon enough.

He would find, and learn of Skywalker's secrets.

* * *

Please Review. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Return

_Chapter Summary:_ Intrigue, mystery and unknown enemies collide against the hope of a small boy which might hold the key to their future.

* * *

(A/N: The purpose of this chapters name is symbolic to what happens. Anakin and Qui-gon return to Tatooine, and something weird happens to them. Also, our favorite Sith Lord returns in a grueling segment of being giving life again.)

The ship landed casually in the hangar bay of the Mos Espa space port. The sudden jolt at being able to feel the fresh air on his face again rushed in through the ramp door, enveloping him in the heat of his planet. Anakin sighed for one of the last times in his life; the opportunity of being a Jedi had just vanished outside as soon as the ramp had lowered. Padme stood next to him as he descended the ramp, and together they parted ways as soon as the Jedi took him away to his parents.

Jedi Knight Yalt and his padawan, Echelon walked slowly along the mildly busy streets of Mos Espa, escorting Anakin to his mother. They earned a few queer looks from some of the onlookers and pedestrians in the streets whom quickly made away from Anakin as soon as they saw him with a few Jedi Knights escorting him. Obviously they were a bit suspicious of this, but they let them pass without interference.

Anakin slowly led his escorters around the busy streets of Mos Espa, silently taking them towards his home. As they passed into smaller streets they came to a corner where the young boy saw some of his old companions. Easily recognizable were his old friends Kitster and Wald, who upon seeing him, carefully removed themselves from his presence. Anakin and the Jedi could feel their fearful feelings escaping from them. They didn't want the boy near him.

Almost as soon as they had seen this both of the Jedi began to feel sorry for the young boy, and they felt his pain at being shunned by his only friends. They had never known the old youthful days of friendship, and at once thought that Anakin would make more friends, and sooner or later, he would be well, and his past would be forgotten.

The young boy turned left suddenly, making his way to a lone corridor of houses on the outskirts of the city. As he came near the door he almost faltered as he recognized it as his home. It was amazing, in the end, that even Anakin could still falter even with the Dark Side enmassed within him.

Pressing the button on the side of the doorframe, Anakin entered his house, and proceeded to walk down the hallways, noticing the barrels littered within it. Sighing, he entered and made his way towards the dining room. He had to cause himself to smile as he could see his mothers face when he had returned. As he made his way into the dining room he yelled out toward the air.

"Mom," he exclaimed loudly, drawing his eyes towards the floor. "Mom, im home…"

Both of the Jedi followed his gaze, and as they set their eyes on the ground they saw two dead bodies on the ground. Anakin almost bought himself to tears when he saw the body of his mother lying there peacefully. "Mom." The word barely escaped his mouth as he ran forward and clutched her hands, and rocked her body, making sure that she was no asleep.

Anakin knew that she was dead; he could feel it through the Force. There was no doubt about it at all. Bowing his head in disgust and sorrow, he began to cry as he felt the life force of his mother finally drain away into nothing. Behind him the Jedi stared at him, as if in deep reflection about what they saw. But then there was something that they felt in the Force, a small tremor.

It took only a moment but the Jedi had their sabers out almost immediately, igniting them and searching through the Force. Anakin turned as he saw them, and stared at them queerly. They seemed to be searching for something, as if it was nearby. There was a feeling of unease and fear clouding their judgment. The elder Jedi stared at her padawan, and motioned him off in the other direction, to scour the other end of the house. Making their way out of the kitchen they stormed into the hallway where they closely maintained their position, and stood their position before a dark cloaked figure standing before them.

The Jedi readied themselves for a confrontation, and maintained their steady stance. The figure stayed hidden ion the darkness, keeping its face hidden from being seen by the Jedi. What was visible though was its smile, and as the Jedi saw it widen, they grew suspicious, and their eyes narrowed.

Then, in a sudden burst of incredible speed, the figure sliced through the air, and leapt at the Jedi. They barely had enough time to register what was happening, and as they lowered their sabers at the oncoming attacker, the red dull blade ignited from a hidden position on its body, and sliced through the Jedi with ease and skill.

The padawan was the first to fall, being full of inexperience on the battlefield. Master Yalt parried a few quick strokes at the attacker, but its strikes countered back with unbelievable speed. The figure remained motionless for a moment as the Jedi Master struck at him, but he countered each of her strikes in turn, hardly seeming to move at all. Lifting the blade above her head the Jedi Knight had made her fatal mistake, and the figure countered her move with, twisting its blade underneath Knight Yalt's arm.

Master Yalt screamed in agony as the dark figure's lightsaber ripped through her body, cutting through her with ease. Her dying form collapsed to the floor, a pool of blood flowing out after it.

The figure smiled once more, and made its way into the kitchen to collect the prize that its master needed. As he entered though he noticed that Anakin was standing at the ready, watching as the figure approached him. Disengaging its lightsaber the figure approached the young boy, and stood opposite him, staring into his eyes. For a moment it wondered why the master wanted this child, but then, it did hold an innumerable power, and it would be dangerous in both the Jedi and Sith to take a hold of it. But on the other hand, not the True Sith.

Ion another of its swift movements, the figure connected its fist with Anakin's head and pounded into him until he was merely unconscious. He didn't want the child running away from him. After all, the boy was the key to their races survival. Making his way back into the hallway, he proceeded to plug holes into the barrels, having the liquid issue out of it and spray itself all across the floor. The figure smiled as it did this, and waited until all of the liquid had connected together before he finished.

Heading back into the kitchen he lifted up the boy before he was consumed by the liquid, and either drowned of died of inhaling the smell. As the figure turned, he noticed that all of the other bodies were now beginning to get wet, taking notice he made his way into the hallway, and as he paused by one of the barrels, he reached into his cloak, and pulled out two small ball type objects.

Carefully placing one above the barrel, and one beneath it, he carefully twisted the knob on the top of them, and then began his casual walk outside. Nodding to himself that this was the only way to erase a past, he smiled, and shutting the door behind him, he left the house and continued to walk to the end of the street before turning. As he turned, he noticed that Anakin was beginning to stir, and in the meantime, he stared back at the house, as if waiting. Breathing in deeply he began to laugh as he saw what happened. In a brilliant display of fireworks, the house exploded in a ball of flames, engulfing a number of other houses next to it.

There would be no trace of the Jedi, or the boys past. Although he was attached to his mother, he would have to forget her now, as the future held more of a chance than the past did. Although, as the saying goes. "Whoever controls the present, controls the past. And whoever controls the past, controls the future."

Soon, like his home on Tatooine, and like the dead Jedi and his mother, the town would follow their example, and Anakin Skywalker will be lost to history.

(A/N: what I am saying there is that whoever controls Anakin, will rule. In case you haven't figured it out yet, this is going to be a part one of a two or three part story.)

* * *

_Two days later…_

The golden solar sailor glided carefully down to the surface, its sails retracting as soon as it had breached through the upper atmosphere of the planet below. As the planet itself was sparsely populated, it fell through the mesas and hills relatively unnoticed, besides the small little outposts and many Tusken Raider settlements, which seemed fit to shoot at anything that moved that wasn't apart of their culture. Besides them though, it attracted little, if any attention which was unusual at best, even from an area such as this.

What surprised the driver though, was that this area was usually full of either pod races, or ships departing or entering the area. The only areas that were of any notice to the pilot was that the hills gave a definite bearing to where he actually was, and where he was going to, as he remembered much of the distinct features from his memory of the pod race.

It seemed so long ago that he had met Anakin here, and had gambled his life away on a measly little deal with Watto, and yet it wasn't on a pod race, but merely on his life. He wondered now if that young boy was back in that shop, making a living out of creating machines and fixing things. What was surprising him the most though, was that he couldn't feel his Force presence anywhere at all.

And that was alarming in itself, making him put on the speed to get there faster.

Flying low over the last hill he gazed on the merry sight that would have been Mos Espa, which was now nothing more than a derelict ruin in the ever widening desert. At first Qui-gon would have thought that he was in the wrong place, but as he checked his bearings, and where the natural features were, he noticed that he was actually where he was supposed to be, and so was what remained of Mos Espa.

There were towers of smoke billowing into the heavens, dissipating into the wind as it blew ever higher. As he came closer he noticed the burning buildings first hand, and saw the destruction that was wrought. Most of the buildings were in ruins, and all of the fair towers that had once been standing had been thrown down. As he flew lower, he noticed that there were still bodies on the ground, burning to a crisp, many huddled together. They had all been executed in a way that he though had been unimaginable.

Forcing himself to land just within the cities limits, within the last known visual free space in the city, he jolted the ship in place as it settled down hard on its legs, and lowered the ramp at the end of the sailor. The engines whined down to a halt as the ramp hit the hard dirt, and the old Jedi Master stormed paced out of the ship, coming into contact with the first known smell of death and destruction to the Mos Espa settlement.

Shaking his head in disgust, and cringing forth against the smell, he paced himself forward, walking among the dead and dying, and the destruction that had been wrought against a township that had not deserved this. He was able to comfort a few survivors of this…raid, and found that they were able to tell hardly anything at all in terms of what had attacked them. All they knew was that there was a red coloured figure that had come out of nowhere, and slaughtered them all. Qui-gon nodded as that woman fund her peace, and searched for other survivors, of which he found none. He also attempted to search for the creatures who were rumored to have done this, but fond none of them either.

Walking amid the ruins, he spotted a number of slaughtered Jawas and Sandpeople, and all of their Banthas and other things as well. Not even the wildlife had been spared. On the edge of one building wall he had walked past he couldn't help but notice the lined up people along the wall, all having a burnt hole in their head. They had all been executed. Walking past another store he noticed that people had been strung up where they used to hang the wild game that had been caught. And they had been skinned, most likely alive as there was a pool of blood littered underneath each skinned body. But what he found wrong with that was that some of the skin had been used to hang people from the high precipices of the buildings.

It was sick.

He was fighting back the tears, no one deserved to die like this. No one. This was pure evil, purely murder. Making his way past one of the piles of bodies, he had noticed about them that they had all been shot, and then butchered, some still alive, others dead. Many had been rounded up into piles of dead, and then burned alive. He was hoping that Anakin or his mother were not apart of this, as he had already found Kitster among one of the burned out piles.

To his luck though he found a livable life force still alive. Although bereft of the Force, it was still his only link to finding Anakin. making his way to the circular building before him, he ran as fast as he could, pacing himself so that he didn't waste all of his energy, or his time. Entering it suddenly, he came face to face with the Naboo cruiser that he had left Naboo on. It was the Queens ship, and before he had even noticed the ship, he had seen the body of the Queen lying there among the dead. Kneeling down, he brushed her brow all of a sudden, and wiped her face, making all of the dust and dirt disappear.

The Force flickered again, and as he turned to his right, he noticed the body of one of the Queens handmaidens. Making his way over to her, he pulled her around and noticed that it was Padme. Thank the Force, he thought, that she survived. Slapping her face he awoke her from her comatose sleep, and as she motioned onto his face, she gasped in surprise and shock, and then hugged him tightly. She was gripping hard, and Qui-gon found it hard to talk.

Pulling away from her he gasped at her situation as her right side was covered with blood. "Are you alright, my lady?" he asked courteously as he flet her skin, and studied her face. She was in shock.

"It was horrible," she stifled out, barely. "They came at us, slaughtering us in the hundreds."

"Who did?" Qui-gon sufficed suddenly. "Who could have done this?"

Padme took in a deep breathe. "Warriors clad in red," she breathed in, struggling to talk. "They attacked from within, and without the city. They attacked all of the main meeting places first, destroying all of the markets and cantinas. Then the hangars so that no ship could escape. If any did, they shot them down with their own little fighters." She took in another breath before continuing. "But they left us till the last, and as many of the people tried to make their way into the ship, they attacked then, slaughtering hundreds."

Qui-gon looked around and saw the dead bodies littering the ground, many of which had been burnt, the smell of burnt flesh still loitering in the air. He nodded silently to himself. "What of the Jedi," he asked with concern. "What of Anakin?"

When he noticed that she didn't reply, he pressed her shoulder hard, and then pressed her for information. "Where is Anakin?" he demanded once more.

She just sat there, gulping and breathing in. "They attacked his place first." She said with tears streaming from her eyes. "They killed his mother, and the Jedi that were with them. They destroyed their house as well, as to not leave any evidence of deaths. There are no more Jedi here, besides you."

"Where is Anakin?" he asked carefully, looking into her eyes.

She swallowed loud before replying. "They took him." she said, barely holding it all in. "They took him with them, but where they took him, I don't know."

Qui-gon sighed all of a sudden, aware that he now may have lost Anakin, and that the Sith might have him. He was right all along, and he had to live with his failure, and the Jedi Order had to brood with this loss. He had to tell them about it, but the only way that he could do that, was through the Chancellor. There was no other way.

Staring at Padme for a moment, he picked her up and took her back to his ship, placing her in a careful position. But what he found on the way back to his solar sailor though was a small little artifact, like a triangle. He knew that he had once again found a Sith Holocron, and what was surprising was that, on the end of that Sith holocron, was a creature coloured in red. It was a type of humanoid creature, and besides the fact that it was a deep red, it had whiskers and had a tentacle beard.

Qui-gon smiled to himself, as he had just found one of the attackers. It was, for him, a rare find. But of what he had read of the Sith, he knew that he had found a pure blooded Sith Warrior, but what surprised him though was that he wanted to know how it came to be here since the race was meant to be wiped out. The ex-Jedi Master stroked his beard carefully, and like Padme, he picked up the body, and took it to his ship. This is what he needed to prove the Jedi Order was wrong once and for all, and although he was loathe to do it, it was necessary to prove himself, and his theory.

* * *

Anakin was dreaming. There was no other way that this could not be a dream. It had to be, mainly because the last thing that Anakin remembered was being knocked out by an extremely large hand. And besides this, he was staring at a body that looked much like the dark robed figure that he had killed back on Coruscant. For the moment he thought that it was a dream, then it dawned on him. Could it be a mixture of his past and present? Memories from his previous life as Vader and his life now as Anakin?

Could they be conflicting?

They had to be. Then for a moment it dawned on him once more. This dream reminded him of the building in which he had conducted experiments from Darth Plagueis' book of spells and necromancy. He remembered all of that, but what was going on he had only attempted once, and had never attempted it again. Then, all of a sudden, some thoughts dawned through his mind.

'_It's tormented me for years. It was only until I had seen it for myself. Darth Plageius had been able to manipulate the midi-chlorians; midi-chlorians that were used to create life, sustain it, and save it from leaving the body!'_

'_Palpatine had thought that he had known better than me, until I saw for myself, this very day, that he was right! I still couldn't trust him though. It was only my life long ambition to bring Padme back to life. Still, it is one power that I have achieved without him. Only One strong in the Dark Side of the Force could achieve such power.'_

What the hell that meant he had no idea, but all of a sudden, he found he was facing a cloaked figure on a dark chair, in a darkened room. As he turned, he noticed slightly that he was watching something. He remembered this. This exact moment. The record that he was watching had proved that he could sustain life with the help of the midi-chlorians. He was watching the last most powerful and wise Dark Lord of the Sith bring back to life one of his closest servants. It was true then, that Darth Plagueis had been right all along, but he felt that he could never achieve such a power.

That was before, and this is now. Fully achieved in power and glory. Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith was a man among all else. Unlike his master, Vader had achieved a power that only he could wish. For a man that had said that he had learnt all that he had from his master, right before killing him, he sure was weak. Power is only achieved through knowledge. And the knowledge that he had found had come from the old Jedi Sith library, where there were many records of the Old Sith order. Especially some on Darth Plageius. Obviously his master had not known about them.

The ex-Dark Lord of the Sith had even told him that he had done such a thing, once. Plageius had actually told him how to do it as well of course, and that he would show him as well. He was partly glad that he was still around, and that he was part of the group that was already planning revenge against Palpatine.

He was actually glad how well holocrons could come in handy. And what they could teach you.

Vader knew that it was obvious that his master had not learnt how to influence the midi-chlorians to create life. If he had, he would have been able to bring back Darth Maul, but why would someone want to do that. It was insane to bring back one of the most powerful, and skilled Sith Lord's ever. Vader's mind tuned back to that once proud apprentice of Darth Sidious. He would so have liked to meet him, but unfortunately, it was not to be. He had only seen him when he was young, in the cockpit of that Naboo starfighter. Bringing back someone from the dead was not something pleasing. But Vader had done it.

The image then changed again, and like any dream, it did it almost as if you were in part control of your actions. This time he was standing behind the chair in which a robed figure was sitting in. as he felt around, he could feel the leathery clothing that he had on. He was Darth Vader once more. He then began to watch from behind his inscrutable black mask as the lifeless body lay before him. He felt the Force begin to swell within the figure next to him; the darkness of it made everything in the room blacken slightly. The power that he was bringing forth he had summoned up from the Dark Side. He was able to visualize the midi-chlorians in the body's cells. They too filled with the Force. He watched below him as the body began squirming. He had to go all the way to the bottom of Coruscant's streets just to get it, some of the remains of the body.

He stopped the flow. The Zabrak gasped for breath, his pain made him shudder uncontrollably. He was alive again, and breathing once more. Suddenly he began coughing, right in front of his creator. It was unbearable, the thought that a dead, newly reborn Zabrak, a Sith Lord overall, would first coughing the face of the one person who had bought him back. But all that Vader did was smile.

With a grim satisfaction, the figure stood up and walked towards this once great fighter, proud and arrogant that he was. He preferred that he would be this Zabrak's new master. But only time would tell. He looked at the body of this once felled fighter. Black and red tattoos zigzagged his bodily surface, along with horns that came out of his head, and his young appearance, it all made him look quite intimidating. An instrument of fear. Vader/Anakin watched with a fearful eye, and the one thing that pleased him though was that he could feel the Force flowing through this young specimen.

The figure stood before him, staring at the Dark Lord of the Sith. Vader stared back, and noticed that the dark figure nodded to the figure below him, and then sent a mental image of his death sprawling through his mind. Vader followed through with what he had seen, and thought that maybe if he could try the force choke that he had perfected years ago; which had become his eventual trademark, that he could kill him again, and bring him back to life again following the example of the vision. The Zabrak grasped at his neck, as if trying to undo the invisible hands crushing his trachea. With a twist of his lips under his mask, Vader tightened the grip, until the Zabrak stopped breathing. Vader watched with his Force darkened eyes as the Zabrak died.

Anakin wanted this dream to stop. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He wanted to let the vision, or dream out of his head. It was appalling. He had personally killed that Zabrak on Coruscant, and he didn't want to do it again in his dreams. He began to scream loudly, but as t\it was heard in his dream, the figures ignored it.

The body lay at Vader's boots. Following the lead of the cloaked figure, he began drawing in the Force. How much would be needed depended on the subject he was dealing with. Powerful material like this Zabrak would take lots of effort to recapture and put back into the body. The voice of what Palpatine told him all those years ago now resounded in Vader's mind: _"The Dark Side is the path to many powers that some would consider unnatural."_ What a joke it was when you think that Palpatine was supposed to know this power. Though, this power is unnatural. The Zabraks body began to breathe, and his heart began to beat again. Vader used his force power to lift the body of this Zabrak onto the metallic table; and there, with a wave of his hand, the metallic arm bands strapped themselves around the subject's arms and legs, pinning him to the table.

"Khameir Sarin!" Vader boomed. "Rise"

First there was a powerful ripple that suddenly flew through the force, the energy of which seemed intensified with rage and anger. Then the Zabrak awakened, and with more power than he had in previous years, he broke his metallic straps, and he rose from the table to place himself directly in front of Vader. There he stood, unknown to the entire world, except to Vader and the other Sith. Vader could tell that the Zabrak was terrified, by the way that he was staring at Vader. He surely recognized who he was, where he was, and what was happening to him. Vader's grim smile deepened. As did the Zabraks. Then it happened, and the Zabrak bowed down to Vader, in an act of submission.

"Khameir Sarin?" asked Vader, his ventilator breathing becoming faster with the excitement.

"Yes Master?" he asked.

"Rise" Vader said aloud. The Zabrak stood up, and then he looked at Vader, and laughed. Vader too, began to laugh, for there was now a new beginning for the Empire. Darth Sidious had played them both, and now they were going to play him, and he would regret it.

Anakin awoke with a scream, and the image immediately fell away from his head. What he had seen had scared him dreadfully. But what was more disturbing to him was where he was. As he stared around, trying to get his bearings, he was able to calm himself down, and focus in on the now. There was noting that he could focus in on though, as the entire room was dark. This had limited knowledge in within itself.

As he began to feel around, what puzzled him immediately was that he heard footsteps approaching him. Turning to where they came from he was shocked to see a small little trap door open to his side. As the light streamed in, he became blind once more. Straining his eyes to see, all he head was a voice.

"What are you doing up?" it said, as if not concerned by his well being, but more so annoyed. It took only another moment, but he did see another balled fist aimed at him approaching fast.

And as it hit his face, he knew only once more, was darkness.

* * *

Far away from the despotic government of Coruscant, there remained a planet that had long been untouched except by those of its race. It was in the far reaches of the Galaxy where the Republic had forgotten about it, and so the Empire also forgot about it eventually as it heeded no interest to the dominions of the Empire. Yet here it lay, at the far reaches of the Galaxy, at the end of the route known as the Dragon Trail, which linked it up to the Core Worlds.

The influence that this planet had was phenomenal throughout the days of the Old Republic. Eventually though it was deprived of all life, and it became deserted, a lost shrine to the power long lost. This planet had once been the Jewel of the Empire that had fought the Republic for control of the galaxy. Once this planet was home to sentient life forms; and great rolling green hills with large forests. Its oceans and rivers were renowned as one of the best in the Galaxy. But now it remains a desolate and deserted planet, with dry deserts and rocky canyons. The once great forests that dotted the landscape have all but disappeared, although, through strange occurrences they have reappeared, and the oceans that once were there have been reborn again.

The canyons of the planet are steep and are made of sheer rock, they have carved into them the immense tombs containing the desiccated, mummified remains of the various leaders of the civilization from various millennia, dating back to the ancient years. Most of these tombs are now empty, some remain, still used by unknown smugglers, and pirates alike. According to those who believe the tales of this planet, the tombs are haunted by the spirits of the dead.

Far into the north of the planet, near the borders of the frozen north pole, the last of the icecaps remain, feeding the remaining canals with water, which will eventually lead to the renewed oceans and rivers and lakes and forests. But here though, on the borders of the frozen wastes of the north, and the heated deserts of the middle east, there remained the largest of the calderas within the Galaxy. The sheer magnitude of this caldera would inspire even the greatest of those people who feared it so. This volcano had such a reputation that the planet that it rested on became a place of fear, spoken only by those who knew it. It was well known that the volcano is wider than it is taller, and that it rises so slowly that it is unknown how much it has risen in the last few centuries. One side of the volcano is pure cliff that rises many thousands of meters above the ground.

The edge of the volcano was dotted with small tombs and caverns that held the most honoured lords of this ancient Empire. Within one of these caverns now there was a congregation of the mightiest of the remaining people. Seated around a large circular table there sat the five leaders, all whom were thought dead, or long lost. Most of them were of a race thought longs lost to the Galaxy, as they had disappeared when the Sith Empire had faltered from its own insides. The one thing that combined them was that they all followed the same ancient religion. The four lesser masters sat down and looked at the head of their party, waiting for his words to enlighten them for his plan.

"My Lord," said one, seated on the right, remaining in the shadows like the other members of this congregation. "You called us here for a specific reason. What is thy bidding, my master?"

The master looked at his four followers, and followed his gaze to the empty chairs that could soon be filled with the soon to be new members of their party. "I have sensed a great disturbance in the Force."

"We have felt it master." Said the one woman to the left of the master.

"Yes," said the others at different intervals, waiting for their leader's response.

"Darth Vader's memories are returning to him. when I was in his mind before I noticed that he has become very bold in reading your teachings, my young friend," he said as he turned to face the being at the far end of the table. "It seems that his power has increased almost tenfold since you last visited him, and that was in the future, and by holocron. If he is the Chosen One, like we all thought that he should be, he will become on of our greatest assets."

"Yes master." They said as they nodded ignominiously.

For a while there was nothing but silence, and there remained only the constant sound of small eruptions all over the surface of the volcano. Although they heard the sound, they all didn't fear it so, for they knew that their powers were great enough for them to sustain and calm the eruptions.

The silence was broken by the member farthest from the master. "My lord, should we not be wary of him then, for if he will be very powerful, he could destroy us."

"We should only be wary of Sidious." Replied the leader, sternly. "His power in the Dark Side overshadows many of us. But our power in the Force overshadows his. He is but a pawn to us. The real prize lays in Vader and in his Force potential. To me shall Vader come soon….also though; I sense another will come with him, one of great skill with a saber, and much power in the Dark Side. And they are both apprentices of Palpatine."

"You may have been a bit to generous to bring him back again, my lord." One of them said, as he knew what his master was talking about. "He had lived his purpose, and now you want to use him? He is of no further use to us, we should dispose of him."

"Maul is of good use." The leader replied. "He has just done his job well, and his deaths were part of the deal that he made with us. Like Vader, soon he will become apart of our number."

This caused the man seated to his right cock his head up is surprise. Sidious had had many apprentices, more than the actual known three, and they had all died except one. All of them had extreme power in the force, but only one was deemed enough to be a great weapon. It was amazing how quickly the tables were turned against him, and how that young Zabrak had taken his apprentices place when he had died.

"Unfortunately," said the master. "I shall not be here to see that happen. Both the descendant of Kun and I shall be out for some time, returning to Yavin IV to visit his ancestor. And we may be recruiting more Force sensitive individuals to our cause. Therefore I shall be leaving my apprentice here to do the work for me. The Sith Lords have promised their support in training Anakin, and the captured Jedi spirits will prove instrumental as well."

"What of our live prisoner?" the figure on the far end asked, standing up. "Will he be of use to us?"

"Most likely." Another confirmed. "When we are done with it, we can either kill it, or send it back to its own quarter of the Galaxy."

"We shall be generous," the leader's commanding tone argued the final point. "And when we are done with the Aing-Tii, I will personally be going to their planet to learn more off of them. We will be treating it with respect, as it is one of the most revered figures within the Galaxy."

When there was no reply from any of the followers, the leader continued.

"The True Power shall rule once more." The master added in there as his eyes flashed a vicious red, full of anger and pride. The power radiating from his position was sensational compared to the other members in that council. It would only be a matter of time before it was all over, and the Empire would be in the hands of the True Power once again.

* * *

A lot of mystery here, eh? It is only going to be weirder, and different. but please, still send in those rave reviews. I thrive on them.

_**Please Review.**_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Choices

* * *

He awoke to darkness.

At first he was not sure if he had awakened at all, or if he was within a dark room, filled with nothing but the everlasting darkness shadows. Yet his eyes could still deceive him, for all he knew he could be deep within the shadowy dream that he had been enduring. He was still partly asleep for all he knew. It would not be the first or last time that his eyes would have failed him. Unfortunately for him, his eyes could not penetrate more than a slight distance into the darkness which enveloped around him, and even after that, there was more darkness.

Yet he could feel.

His head lay against something smooth and cool. Usually he would think that it was the floor, but he was unsure for the moment. He attempted to move his hands around him, and noticed that the cool surface that he was lying on was a hard stone floor. He could feel heavy binds on his legs, and knew that he was chained up. His mind then suddenly clicked, it had to be a stone floor, or something to that effect. Anakin stirred lightly on the hard stone cold floor, his head aching against the heavy thumping that remained a constant within his mind. He woke up slightly, revealing some of the surrounding landscape to him. There were many rounded and hard rocks pointing up out of the surface, and others on the walls of the chamber that he resided in. there was no window, just complete darkness surrounded by darkness. Once again the Jedi Knight knew that he had been captured.

But this was usual in these types of situations. A deep dark and damp room, filled with an unbearable stench of moisture and sweat. Above all though it would usually be filled with rats or mice from which the prisoner was able to talk to and feed on. The thought of that just sent a disgruntled thought into the mind of Anakin, thinking that he would have to live on that to survive, wherever he was.

Truthfully he was wondering where he was. He had no idea at all. The last thing that he remembered was the explosion followed by a warped sound, and then there was a large balled fist coming at him. How had he ended up here, away from Coruscant, or Tatooine, or wherever here was. It was like he was there for one minute and then was somewhere else the next.

It was a confusing thought.

All that he knew was that he had ended up somewhere. But that somewhere was that he didn't know where.

Just then though, he heard the sound of a clicking of metal on stone. As he turned his head towards the direction that it came from, he saw the large formation of stone before him suddenly moved, sliding upwards into the stone. From behind the stony doorway there streaked into the room the first rays of light, illuminating the dark corners. It blinded him slightly. But he was still able to see who it was that was coming to get him. Before he could even yell out, he was grabbed by some large red hands, and dragged from his resting place. Anakin swore that it had pure white eyes that were staring at him, and he could tell that they were staring right through him, as if searching his soul. As a moment passed he heard a clanking of chains around his feet as he felt them disappear off of his feet. As he stared down at them, he had barely enough time to register what had happened as he was yanked hard from where he was standing, and thrown into the next room.

He hit the ground hard, and all of this was against a nine or ten year old kid. Rubbing his head, he felt around as some blood came pouring off of the wound. It took only a moment to realise that he was bleeding, but he could tell that he was. Once more some large paw like hands grabbed him, and dragged him towards a room at the end of the hallway. Anakin, in this whole time was slipping in and out of consciousness, and didn't really pay attention to what was happening around him.

Anakin had never been roughly handled in his entire life, and for the sake of it, he was just a small child. They seemed to not care at all how roughed up that he got, just as long as he was still alive to face the coming trials. Finally he noticed that they had entered a large room, and as they let go of him, they pushed him towards the centre of the room, making him fall down in the process. He was able to lift himself up, to stand up straight again, within the limits of the illuminated circle that he had been pushed into the middle of. As he stood up though, he noticed that the creature had left and disappeared. Within some time though three of them entered, leading a number of cloaked figures behind him. He saw that the cloaked figures dismissed the escorting warriors and placed themselves, in a circle, around Anakin.

He only had time to quickly notice the creatures that were guarding the cloaked figure were all red in colour, with a bulky muscled body, and tentacle beards. Their eyes were purely white, and seemed to have an aura of darkness around them. Anakin was at first fearful, but then grew accustomed to it quickly, hiding his fear. He just merely stared at the creatures, wondering what they were when a voice seemed to answer in reply.

"They are the Massassi," it said as if reading his mind. Anakin quickly hid his thoughts, enhancing his shield capability and making them stronger. But the voice spoke again as he did so. "You cannot hide your thoughts from me, Vader. Those shields will do nothing to hide the thoughts that dwell within the recesses of your mind. They are too conventional and weak, mine on the other hand, are more powerful than you can even possible imagine."

Anakin made his choice to stand in a defiant stance, until he knew more about who he was dealing with. He had to remember that he was a nine year old boy, with a soul of the Dark Lord of the Sith. And he alone was about forty years old.

Anakin tried to muster his voice in a strong way, but found himself partially weak. "Who are you?" he breathed in slightly. "What do you want from me?"

"What do your want for yourself?" the figure replied, earning a small laugh from the other two cloaked figures. "Your heat desires many things, Anakin," he sneered his name, despising of it entirely. "And I can see right through you. You want power, prestige, loyalty and respect. Yet I also sense that you desire someone close to you, someone who is not afraid to show affection towards you, and you return it in kind."

'_Padme.'_ Anakin thought suddenly, and he felt the figure enter his mind s he did so.

"Ah, yes," the cloaked shadow continued. "Padme Amidala, the Queen who posed as a handmaiden to escape capture and, otherwise, torture. She played with the minds of the Jedi, and won. That shows how weak they really are, not being able to see through a mere disguise." He stared at Anakin, seeing his eyes widen. "And yet, I sense that you did not realise it either."

"I did so." Anakin thundered, angered at the shadows presumption. "You have to remember that I am at heart a Sith Lord, and I despise of those Jedi who shamed me. But you have to see through the facts, I knew as soon as I had returned that I could see through almost anyone, and that included the worthless disguise of Padme. But the Jedi that were with her are the most loyal and pure that I have ever met, all others seemed to distrust me."

"With good reason too, I might add." The shadow added. At this remark, another of the figures spoke, its speech more of a hissing sound, yet deep. Anakin turned to meet the voice, and saw that the figure resembled the same Massassi warrior that had just appeared before him, yet it was thinner and smaller in stature.

"What do you remember, Lord Vader," it began, its voice hissing. "of your past, or future."

Anakin smiled, being called Vader again had its advantages. "Everything." He stated calmly, focusing in on the Massassi type creature, who turned and stared towards the other man on the other side of Anakin. Anakin followed his gaze, and saw the figure throw off his hood, and reveal himself to the young boy.

"You and I have a score to settle, young man," the figure sneered as he approached, entering into the light and revealing himself. Anakin would have screamed with fear, but he knew that it was too much. His dream had been correct, and he had seen the same Sith Lord that he had killed on Coruscant had been reborn by the Dark lords of the Sith. The red and black tattooed face came into focus, and his hand grabbed the young boy and lifted him into the air.

"There is no Jedi scum to save you know," he said loudly as he balled up a fist and threw it back into the air. Anakin seeing this, grew fearful of what was going to happen, and as he used that fear top his advantage, he attacked Maul himself, throwing him back against the wall, almost knocking him out. The remaining figures smiled as they saw this, amazed at the brute strength that Anakin had.

Anakin stood calmly in the centre of the chamber as Maul regained his composure and stood up. They faced each other, but Anakin stood firmer, and didn't move at all. He faced each of the Sith Lords in turn, and then aimed his gaze back to the main figure.

"What is it that you truly want from me?" he asked as his voice became sterner, and more powerful.

* * *

In a small ship on the way to the Chommel Sector, Count Dooku paced in his room towards the small console at the foot of his private bed chambers. Pressing a few dials he enacted the process of contacting his master. The holographic figure appeared before him, and the older man bowed suddenly. Raising his head he looked at the giant see through image of his master. "The Force is with us Master Sidious."

"Indeed, my young apprentice." The Dark Lord suddenly praised, his voice low and arduous. It was full of cunning and experience, able to send a shiver down a man's spine.

"What is your will of me?" Dooku asked suddenly, watching as the form of the Dark Lord of the Sith seemed to shiver ever so slightly.

"Lord Tyranus," the Dark Lord commanded suddenly, in his chilling, distinctive tone of voice, commanding at best. "I have need of you to go to the Tion Sector. The Jedi refuse to believe that it is essential to them, and I have need of making my point needed. They are fools and need to be taught to be put in their place."

"My Lord?" the Dark Apprentice asked ever so suddenly.

"My arm is long Dooku, and I have some political enemies to be rid of." He said suddenly. "The Jedi are becoming a pestering nuisance, and they need to be gotten rid of. This campaign is essential to the welfare of the coming war."

"The Jedi refuse to believe that the coming war is at best a losing one." Tyranus commentated. "They believe that it will take some time, but not too long. They also have a firm belief that the Sith have not returned."

"They are fools if they believe that." The Dark Lord suddenly commanded, hissing his voice and commanding a thunderous applause at the same time. "They need to be taught a lesson that the coming war will be a continuous occupation besides what they think. It is time for the next step, Dooku."

"Yes my Lord."

"Begin assembling the Council, and then begin Project Arcturus."

"Yes, my Lord." Tyranus said suddenly, looking at the face of his master. There was now a concern that he had yet to raise. "My master, if I may. Is the simultaneous invasions of Naboo, and the taking of Geonosis really what we need?"

"Naboo will provide extra troops for us, and supplies." The image suddenly replied, his tone of voice silent as the grave. Scary at the same time. "They are still occupied by the Trade Federation, and soon they will surrender. I will be manipulating the government from here, they will join you. I believe that the Gunguns will be of help in your success. And Geonosis will give us an extra base from which we could use to attack the Republic. Begin Dooku."

"Yes my master."

* * *

_Coruscant._

Mas Amedda wandered down the halls of his own private estate on the outskirts of the Senatorial District on Coruscant. The imposing stature of the man made people believe that they should avoid him altogether. It was just the look of him that was considered suspicious and highly evil. People would regardless say that Mas Amedda's species, the Chagrian, were evil looking at best, and that they were above all highly untrustworthy, always by themselves and scheming. They never appeared to actually come near to other species, preferring privacy to everything else.

Mas Amedda was the exception though, and he was uncommon even among his own people.

The Chagrian, in general, were highly sensitive to the impact their imposing features had on the other species they met. They knew that others viewed them as if they were an ungodly creature from another universe. Their imposing height, coupled with the two large horns that grew from their heads, which evidently could grow up to between 1.5 meters to almost 2, and their other horns that grew from them as appendages that rested on their shoulders, withering around their skull and neck. For the Chagrian, these tentacles were considered unnatural, even unattractive, but added a proud sense of esteem upon them.

That was probably why Mas Amedda chose to be in the Senate in the first place. He knew that he could control the crowd from the start. Although most of the Chagrian tried to avoid the public eye, Mas Amedda decided to exploit it. And indeed his power had henceforth grown since he had accepted the way that things were.

What Mas Amedda found, when he came to Coruscant was that his physical appearance was his greatest asset. He commanded respect simply by walking into a room. When he stood to his fullest height and turned his head about a room, waving his horns in a show of force, he could quiet an army of Senators with ease. It was something that he had developed by himself, and his orders were never to be doubted. Indeed, he had survived a number of Senatorial elections, and had been granted the position for life as the Chancellor's aide, always carrying the vote to shut the senate up when it got out of hand.

In truth though, he had gained this position through a number of advances. Even as his form walked down the hall of his residence, he could not help but think on how he had somehow gotten it. For him, it had all started when he had been visited by a very imposing figure, the aide of the Senator from Axxila. It had always been said by people from outside of Axxila that if you turn "Coruscant inside-out and make it a jail where the inmates are in control…" Unknown to him though, the aide was actually the Dark Lord of the Sith, masquerading as a helpful aide.

It was this event which drove him deep within the circles of the Sith Lords and their Brotherhood.

A Brotherhood that he was apart of. And to his surprise he was actually recruited by him, and sent into the inner workings of the Senate, and posed as a mere aide of the Chancellor. It was this job that he was still secure in, but he didn't know how much longer he would survive if he hadn't been aware of his brothers plans.

Firstly he had been mortified by them. To take control of the Galaxy within a fell swoop, and to destroy their rival Sith Enclave under Palpatine, who had named himself Darth Sidious many years before. It was strange when he thought back on it, but now he could be relieved that he was in command of something. The Sith Lords had sent him to learn as much as possible about Chancellor Palpatine's doings and dealings. Originally he had been sent there to manipulate many of the weaker senators to join their cause, and when that was done, he did so with the stronger ones.

It was in this way that Palpatine had first found him imposing himself among the senatorial elite. He was bought into the inner circle of Palpatine's, and he was sworn in as an aide in helping him take control of the Galaxy. Firstly though, Palpatine didn't reveal all of his plans to Mas, as he was still untrustworthy, but eventually he did so, and Amedda was surprised. Yet, as he was apart of the Brotherhood, he was more loyal to his masters, and understood the dire need to be rid of this fratricidal maniac whose plans to be rid of the Jedi were…unresolved and utterly ridiculous.

His master's plan on the other hand was unlike that, and it was more planned out and manipulative.

All in all, it was a better plan.

Amedda opened the door to his private study, and entered cautiously. He made his way over to his small metallic desk and silently removed his chair and sat down, slumping in comfort at the cushions that resided within the chair. Immediately bringing himself forward he pressed some of the small controls and buttons on the desk before him, darkening the room significantly, making only the light appear out of the small holographic projection that appeared before him.

He had made the connection quickly, and that was all that pleased him.

He nodded silently in his chair as figure before his rose and stood up. The shades of blue in the image illuminated the room, showering all of the dark spots in light. The figure's cowl obscured his face as usual, and hid his body beneath it. The Lenin beard sprouted among the face before him, and the cruel and vindictive smile plagued even the worst of dreams. But the Chagrian was used to it.

"What is it?" the figure before him ordered immediately in his silent curt tone, annoyed that he had been summoned.

Amedda smiled suddenly, cunningly anticipating his master's disappointment. "Everything is going as to what you have foreseen, my lord. Many of the senators are either under your grip or mine, or the Chancellor's. It will only be a matter of time before we are in control."

The figure smiled. "Darth Sidious is cunning and smart, but he is of no match for us. Everything is going as planned. The Republic will soon be in my command. Time is of the essence."

"Yes my master." He replied thoughtfully. He then aimed his face at the figure before him. "Did your…package arrive safely, my lord?"

"Indeed it did, my friend." The Sith Lord replied suddenly, his face curling up into a smile. "He arrived as safely as could be, a bit cut up and bruised, but other wise in good shape."

"May I ask why we need him, my lord?"

The tone of the Dark Lord deepened suddenly. "He will be of great asset to us. It is expectant that Lord Vader will strike the key blow for our cause."

'Lord Vader?' Amedda thought suddenly. He only knew him as Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi to-be, who was excused for being too old and powerful. Sidious was playing him well, but so were the True Sith. They both seemed to be playing him off against each other, both for the security of the Empire. All that he knew about the young Jedi was that he was supposed to be the most powerful force user in the galaxy, and was considered the "Chosen One" by the Jedi, yet they neglected him. Amedda had read up about much of the Sith History, and he had found out that there was meant to be a Sith Lord who was considered to be the next Sith'ari, or their "Chosen One" of sorts.

The revelations and parallels between them are roughly the same.

"Everything here is roughly secure here my lord," Amedda declared suddenly, his voice stern and passive. "is there anything else that you would ask of me?"

The Dark Lord looked up and stared at the Chagrian for a moment, regarding him in an almost terrifying way. He smiled suddenly at the advisor. "Yes, I have need of your services still. I need you to travel to Kamino and Rothana, and…convince them to join our cause."

"Why there, my Lord?" Amedda asked queerly. "What do they have that could possibly help us in our crusade."

"Sidious has placed an order for a Clone Army to come out of that area in about ten years." The shadow replied. "I will have need of the cloners on my side. Offer them something that they can't refuse, and they will join us in our manipulation."

"By any means necessary, my Lord?" Amedda asked, hopeful that he would have to use his persuading techniques. He was almost smiling when he asked that.

"Yes," The Sith Lord replied. "By ANY means necessary. I will be sending my apprentice, Darth Bane to meet you there. He will help you by any means necessary."

The hologram phased out, leaving the room fall into the darkness that enveloped it.

* * *

Qui-gon solar sailor breached through the atmosphere of Coruscant, leveling off as it came into view of the main apartments of the senatorial offices. It slipped unnoticed between the masses of skyscrapers of the Republic capital, attracting little if any attention from passing air traffic as it continued on its journey towards the offices of his knew master, Chancellor Palpatine. Why Dooku had pestered him into working for the Chancellor he didn't know, but as he thought about it further, it didn't make much sense.

The small domed building came up before him. it's same sake appearance to the Senate Building though made it possible to mistake the two, although one was several feet higher, and wider, and one of them was just a small hemisphere in the ground, it couldn't have been hard to distinct between the two. The craft slowed to a mere hover as it reached the building, landing on the top level of the landing platforms. Shutting off the engine he lowered the ramp, and descended, taking the deathly pale body of Padme with him. Before him the Senatorial Guard came up to him, and took the young lady from him, Qui-gon advised them to take her to the medical wing, and that the Chancellor would be extremely grateful for their services. They bowed to him as he turned his back to them, and reentered his small craft.

Entering his ship, he came face to face with the dead creature that he had taken from Tatooine. As he made his way towards it he picked it up carefully, and placed it on his shoulders. The small little holocron that he had with him he picked up and placed in his pocket, and then proceeded out of the door. The aura of the Dark Side surrounded his ship now, as he had carried, as certain as he was, that it was a Sith warrior.

Four more guards approached him as he exited the ship, and with them, to his surprise came the Chancellor himself. Qui-gon would have bowed, but he had a dead creature resting on his shoulders, and could only stifle a small nod towards him. Palpatine returned that nod in return, and then proceeded to order the guards to take that body to he morgue, and keep it in stasis for a while, until the Jedi could come and look at it.

As soon as the four guards had disappeared, Qui-gon bowed low this time, earning a quick glance from the Chancellor. He shook his head in surprise. "Let us not remain of formal terms now, Master Qui-gon, we are close friends after all, and your friend, Count Dooku has suggested that I put you to work for me, and align you closer to my own ideals."

"Thank, you, my Lord." Qui-gon motioned. "I am pleased that you find me worthy of serving you."

Palpatine smiled at this, and turned suddenly, motioning the ex-Jedi to follow him. "I am pleased that you think that you find me offering you work worthy. And plus, if you were still with the Jedi, you would still be working for me anyway. But now, it is of a more discrete way, more formal. Don't you think?"

"Yes I do, Chancellor." The man sufficed his reply, pleased with himself. "However with the Jedi, I would always be at odds with the council, and now that I am with you I am never at odds."

"Well not at the moment, you are not." Palpatine answered in reply, his tone serious. "There are many things that you don't yet know about me, Master Qui-gon, and in due time, you shall find out more. But first you have to prove yourself worthy."

"What do you wish of me, my lord?" Qui-gon asked, eager to serve the Republic, unaware that he was being manipulated by a Sith Lord, and being drawn deeper into the web of confusion, intrigue and injustice.

The Chancellor smiled once more, pleased at the mans amusement and pleasure of working for the most powerful man in the Galaxy at the moment. "I have a mission for you, my friend, but first I would have you tell me what you found in the Arkanis Sector, especially on Tatooine."

Qui-gon sighed to himself, and then proceeded to tell the story of what he had found in one of the town of the planet, and why he had gone there in the first place. It was about Anakin as Palpatine suspected, but there was something else, and as he listened in, he was surprised to find out that his entire home town had been utterly destroyed and ruined. Dead bodies and corpses. Destroyed building and a loss of many thousands of citizens of the Republic.

Palpatine sighed as he head this, and then questioned the Jedi Master as they walked around one of the many parked air taxis. "Tell me, what did you find there that was among the dead? And that you brought back with you?"

"With your permission, my lord," Qui-gon sighed. "I believe it to be a Sith warrior."

Palpatine almost scoffed at that. A Sith warrior? A Massassi. There were still some around, and it somehow ended up on Tatooine, and destroyed a whole city. There had to have been more. "I find that hard to believe Qui-gon. There should only be two Sith Lords, as what I have been told by the Jedi Council. There should only be one now. And whether he be the Master or the Apprentice, he will have to find another person to train."

"I agree," Qui-gon mused. The Jedi should be told of this development immediately. It will prove that the Sith have returned to the galaxy, and then, also that they are a threat that has to be dealt with."

"I agree with you Qui-gon, but I do not believe that you should be the one to tell them for all of your disagreements with the Jedi Council, you might still be at odds, and also, since you only recently split from them, you might be regarded as a traitor." He paused and stared at his friend. "But the fact that you found a Sith holocron among the ruins of the city will only steady your argument. The Jedi will be here within sometime, and they will be looking at the body, and interviewing Amidala…"

"Amidala?" Qui-gon questioned. "The Queen is dead, my Lord. Only her handmaiden survived from her party."

"Yes. The handmaiden did survive," The Sith Lord began, and stared at his friend with narrowed eyes, earning a queer glance from the old Jedi. "But did you know that they swapped places at certain times. Padme and Sabe. Sabe was the young lady who died, and Padme survived, and is still the elected ruler of the Naboo, which is what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yes my lord," Qui-gon answered quickly, still partly confused by these new statements of belief.

"This problem with the Trade Federation and the Naboo has gotten out of hand. Already the Trade Federation has taken a number of other planets in their System, and so far they have only got the Queen of the Naboo to speak out for them. But what is more is that apparently the leader of the Trade Federation has arrived on Naboo to personally take charge of the situation."

"What is his name, my lord?" Qui-gon asked once more, knowing where this was heading.

"He is a Dark Jedi who has taken the name of Aurelius." Palpatine huffed. "Apparently he left the order some years ago to pursue his own career, but force the Trade Federation to somehow do his bidding." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I have need to you to go to Naboo and end this threat to the Republic."

"But my lord, I am not a Jedi."

"You were, and so was Aurelius." Palptine ordered, making Qui-gon shake his head. "You will be doing this for me, Master Jedi. I cannot bear the thought of losing my home world. I need to make an example out of the Trade Federation, and what better examples to do so than have a disaffected Jedi save the Naboo."

"I will leave immediately, my lord." Qui-gon surrendered. "If it is your will?"

"It is." Palpatine silenced him with that remark. "But first, you will have to meet up with Kinman Dorian, leader of a small Republic force near the Nubian sector. He will be awaiting you, and you will use the Forces under his command to liberate the people."

"My lord…" Qui-gon began, but noticed that Palpatine had stalked off, leaving the conversation at an end. He had just been ordered to do battle with the Trade Federation, an to save the Queen, and also, Palpatine's planet.

* * *

_Unknown Space…_

"What is it that you truly want from me?" he asked as his voice became sterner, and more powerful than before. The Sith lords maintained eye contact with the boy, not wanting him to leave their sights. There was an aura of the Dark Side evident in the room, and it seemed to cloud some of their proper judgment on how to proceed with this.

The leader of the Sith Lords present here merely spied him out and stared at the youth as he tapped into his Dark Side. Sighing, he replied in answer. "We want just you. Nothing more, nothing less, just you."

"Why me?" Anakin asked. "What do I have that you could possible need."

"You hold the key to us succeeding where the rest of the Sith have failed." He began. "You are a reborn Sith Lord in the form of your younger self. I will have to admit that your transformation to the past didn't go as well as we had expected, but it matters not, we shall have time to mould you into something of our design."

"So you are going to make me accept my destiny, to become someone, stronger in the end."

"Yes." He said loudly. "For the glory of the Sith, you are needed. It is time for you to accept your destiny. To take your place at my side, and help me to rule the Galaxy."

"You will have to convince me first." Anakin sneered, priding himself in his words.

"If that is your destiny," the Sith Lord murmured. "then so be it."

Immediately the Sith Lords stretched forth with their hands, enveloping the young boy in the Force. Anakin screamed loudly, echoing through the caverns and all the while he heard a chanting voice in his head.

"_Use the Force, give into your anger."_

"_Anger is the Path to the Dark Side."_

"_The Dark Side is the pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural."_

"_The Dark Side of the Force is the True Force, allowing unlimited powers, strengths, and if you pertain it so, immortality and invulnerability. Though the Force will always be attacking you, trying to stop you."_

"_Do you choose this Path, Anakin Skywalker?"_

Anakin screamed loudly, taking in all that he could possibly absorb. "I accept my destiny." He yelled loudly, while all the powers flowed through him.

"_Then repeat after me:"_

"_We shall grow not old, as they that are left grow old;  
Age shall not weary us, nor the years condemn._

_Power overwhelming, through us the Force is clear._

_Flowing through us it will be True, causing the invulnerable ideals that we search for;_

_For in me, is the source of the Beginning, and End"_

Anakin collapsed to the floor hard after he had done what he was told to do. The Dark Lord of the Sith approached him, to make sure that he was alive. Feeling a steady heartbeat, he knew that Anakin was still alive. For him though the prize lay in Vader. Turning back to his two colleagues, the Sith Lord and Darth Maul, he smiled at them.

"Phase One has been completed." He stated carefully. "It can **_begin_**."

(A/N: I have no idea what that small little ode means, I just needed something to make up and it sprang to life. It just summarizes the powers that Anakin/Vader will be endowed with, which will be in turn, summarizes in the next chapter.)

* * *

That was partly confusing for me, but above all, I think that it was good.

Please Review. I live off these Reviews.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – Training

* * *

"There is only one path that you can choose to follow, Lord Vader," the Sith Lord said again as his company came to a crossroads in the caverns deep within the bedrock. Before them now, as they stopped and studied the area, there were three routes that Anakin could go to test his spirit, or his power. The Sith quickly outline them all. "Of the three tunnels, only one is the true way. That tunnel will lead you down the path of the Sith, and you will be forced to deal with more terrible and grueling things than you can even possibly imagine. There will be tests that you will have to face to succeed." 

"What of the other tunnels?" Anakin asked questioningly as he stared at all three of them.

"One tunnel holds a test where your greatest fear will be countered, and you will have to face it to live up to your destiny. The last tunnel holds the ruins of the ancient Sith Academy, and within it, there is a place that you will most likely be drawn to, and once you enter that place, you will immediately become one with the Force, never to return."

"So I would be essentially dead?" the boy asked again as he turned and faced the Sith Lord in the face, with a queer look in his eyes.

"In a way, yes," Maul answered. "But you would achieve the immortality that the Sith so desire, and that is to be able to live forever. When you become one with the Force, you have no limits, and no boundaries. You will be able to do anything, except interfere with the will of the Force."

Anakin nodded, and stared at the three tunnels before him. One of them contained his destiny, but he had a feeling that the path that he would go down would ultimately lead to his death, and he knew that the Sith knew that. He was sure that he knew that the Sith knew what was in each of the tunnels, and that all of them led to the same place. Sighing to himself, and taking in a deep breath, he made his way towards one of the tunnels. Stopping, he stared back at the Sith Lords he noticed that they didn't even attempt to stop him, or direct him to which tunnel that they wanted him to go down. Anakin shook his head and continued.

As they watched Anakin disappear into the third cavern, they couldn't help but wonder if he had made the right choice. He was heading into the archives, and would soon enter into the nexus of the Force. If he wasn't careful it would envelope him, and destroy him.

"Do you think that the lies we told him of being taught to use just the Force were a bit far fetched?" Maul asked suddenly. "Although the Master did say that we were to guide him, and convert him to our plan, I didn't think that it would be this easy, and that spreading lies was the only way that we could do it."

"Don't worry about it, my friend," the Sith Lord pestered, his cowl still shadowing his face. "Soon he will be one of us, and all of our lies will be for naught if he doesn't go through that door in the Archives."

The Sith priest sighed. He had seen what had happened to some people who went through that door. Within that door was a Force nexus, unusually strong in the Dark Side of the Force. Many Dark Jedi, Jedi and Sith, and even those who were unusually strong in the Force perished in their attempts to contain all of the power that was held from within that nexus, thinking that they were the Chosen One of legend. As they died though, their Force energies absorbed into the nexus and the surroundings, tainting the passage with the dark side. This is what led to making the nexus more powerful.

"What if he is unable to contain it?" he asked with a slight pain in his voice. "What happens if we lose him?"

"He will contain it within him. I have foreseen it," the Sith said proudly. "And we will control him."

"What if we can't control him?" the Sith priest asked once more, aware that he was treading close to the line. What if he turns against us?"

"Then we will succeed anyway, and he will most likely destroy much of the Galaxy at large, and therefore, as that is the ultimate goal of the Sith, we will have done our duty."

Maul intervened for a moment, understanding the pain of the priest. "We are taking a mightily big risk, my lord. The master will not be pleased if it fails. This had better work"

"It will." The Sith turned to silence them, and turned back to watch Anakin disappear into the cavern, and leaving their sight.

Anakin made his was towards the far right tunnel, 'the place where all of the radicals go' according to the Sith priest, he motioned himself forward, and entered into the dark space. As soon as he had entered he had to stretch out with his senses as there was no light of any kind, whether natural or unnatural. Turning around he stared back at the way that he had come, and noticed that the entrance had completely disappeared. He made himself move forward, and noticed that there was just a wall of stone and rock embedded all around him. There was no entrance or exit. He was stuck in a dark and blackened space where there was no was in or out.

Turning one more too where he had originally stood, which was where he was facing originally, which was where he actually didn't know. It was so dark that he couldn't see his hands before his face. Making his way in what he was sure was forward, he walked a few feet before hitting another wall. Starting to get frustrated now, he turned sharply and came face to face with an opening. This surprised him all of a sudden as it became wider and wider. Then to his surprise there was a room within it, and Anakin followed into the hole, becoming more and more surprised at what he saw.

He had made it into the archives. A place where there was knowledge beyond anything that he had yet ever seen. There were rows and rows of holocrons and books, light disks and holoprojectors. All of them contained some sort of reference to apart of the Force. Making his way through it he noticed all of the shelves that contained the immense knowledge of the Force, including the teachings of the Jedi, Sith, and the Aing-tii. Among the other were the teachings of many Force sensitive groups.

There were immense numbers of rows, and as he passed the final one though he entered into a wide space, which was blocked off by the computerized benches where you could find what you were looking for, and also read all of the holodiscs that you needed. At the end of it though there was a black door, guarded by two shadows. Within the creases of the door Anakin could see light foaming out of it, and as he made his way forward he tried to get in, but the two shadows suddenly ignited their sabers, barring him from entering. Anakin quickly got the message, and as he turned he came face to face with the three Sith Lords that he had just left.

There was shock written on his face as he saw them. "What are you doing here?" he asked not betraying his surprise. "And how did you get in?"

Maul merely smiled. "The Dark Side is the path to many abilities some consider unnatural."

Anakin sighed, guessing that they had used some type of teleportation skill that they had earned. He was getting so sick of that line. He hated hearing it. for the entire time he had been here, he had heard that unnatural line coming from the Sith. He was annoyed by it. he hated it.

"So what is this place?" Anakin asked, curious. "And how did it get here?"

The Sith Lord smiled, and then walked forward, revealing himself to the young Jedi wannabe, now Sith attempter. Taking off his cowl, he revealed his short blond brown hair, but his face was covered with some kind of metallic mask. And placing his hands carefully on the mask, he tore it off, revealing his manly features. His face was log, and he had dimples over his chin. He had the look of someone who was ancient and yet charismatic. Above all he had dark eyes that seemed to search the soul. His clothes were elegantly designed, and were tailor made. There was a small, golden chain holding his cloak on his body. To Anakin, he seemed like a man from the past, someone that he would obey. It was at that moment that he spoke out, making the two shadows behind Anakin bow towards him.

"I am Revan," he said as he stared Anakin in the face. "I was once a Jedi Knight, and then Dark Lord of the Sith. I am a Savior, conqueror, hero, and villain. I searched out for the true Sith many years ago, and they converted me to their plan, and I have joined with them."

Anakin was almost stumped, but as he was about to speak, Revan continued, with an aura around him making all things begin to tremble. "Anakin Skywalker," he began, facing him. "You have taken a path that people can seldom follow. Like me, if you wish to enter the Nexus, you must first be aware of the consequences of your actions." Anakin merely nodded, focusing on the man that he had read up on in Jedi history, someone that he revered very much. "Firstly, you must understand, that you have to go in there with one name, and come out as him. You must be Vader, or Anakin, or you will be divided. You must be aware that in the end, you will belong to neither the light nor the darkness. You will forever stand alone among your peers. By absorbing the nexus, you will become someone more powerful than you can even possibly imagine."

"Look at you now, Anakin," Revan continued. "Or perhaps Vader. You have been returned into the body of your youthful self, and your power has basically doubled since you have merged with yourself as a boy. You have been denied by the Jedi, and accepted by the Sith. If you enter here, you will not only become more powerful, but you will be the power. I have become a power unto myself as well, and I have lived long enough now to know all that there is to know. But I will warn you, once you enter there, you will exit as a different person." He paused to make sure that he had Anakin's attention, studying him closely. "You will be a mixture of the Jedi Chosen One, and the Sith Sith'ari."

"I will be two Chosen Ones," Anakin stated carefully not believing what he was hearing. He was skeptical, but heard Revan continue again.

"Yes, you will," he replied, quenching all thoughts from Anakin's mind. "You will, in a manner of speaking be known as the Source of the Force, or even an Avatar. A Siphon maybe. You will join the ranks of the order, and be reveled in the Force. You will be the One who has freed themselves from all restrictions has reached perfection, their potential fulfilled. Perfect strength, perfect power, perfect destiny. You can ultimately bring balance to the Force through your actions alone, with making the Dark Side achieve victory, or letting the Light Side surpass the Dark, thereby annihilating it from the Force, but yet, accordingly, as you annihilate one side, destroying them—yet, through their destruction, you alone will make them stronger than ever."

Anakin was still partly confused, but as long as Revan was on parr with what he was talking about, then it all made sense. "Look around you, Vader," he continued, grabbing the boy's attention. "See for yourself the power of the Sith. This is the library of the Trayus Academy, though lost thousands of years ago, but survived thanks to me and my quick thinking. The Archives here contain a fathomless collection of ancient knowledge and research dating back possibly thousands of years, dating to the Infinite Empire. It includes detail on the Force, every species in the Galaxy, all planets, animals, plants, and species. And it even contains elements of their death, if needs be. Like what Darth Sion said, it has been here for thousands of years. It is a place where Sith teachings run strong, it is the threshold of the borders of an ancient empire. It was a place of reflection for the ancient Sith, a gateway to their lands. It drew me here, where I studied for some time. It was said that the teachings here will lead one to the Sith, the True Sith, and all their shadowed worlds. And it did indeed, and I relocated it to here."

He walked forward for a moment, and knelt down, staring Anakin in the face. "It is the place where the Sith will be remembered forever." Anakin drew in all that he had said, and as he took it all in Revan continued. "You must choose your side young Skywalker and you must choose...now! Either take on the name of Anakin, and be remembered as the slave who became a ruthless killer. Or choose Darth Vader, and become the man whom you were born to be. Put aside the Jedi, and the slave, and take up the mantle of the Sith, accept your destiny, and use the nexus to your advantage."

Anakin took a moment to hear all that was said, and as he thought what he would rather be known as, Anakin, or Vader, he remembered his mother, and thought of what the Sith had done to her. The anger had begun to flare up, and he knew that Vader was taking over_. 'He is coming, isn't he?'_ the words flashed through his head. _'Vader is unleashing himself, let him come. Reveal yourself to the Sith, as a Master of the Dark Arts.'_

"Shut up," Anakin roared all of a sudden, the anger over his mother's death, and the fear of losing Padme, and the baiting of the Sith Lords to get him to turn. The anger was taking control. "Get out of my head."

"You are weak Anakin," the Sith yelled at the top of his voice, but was unsure how much would get through. "Vader is the strong one. You are weak and ineffectual. You have no future here. Choose the dark. It can guide you, and lead you."

"No." Anakin yelled back, still fighting within himself. "No. it can't be. I cannot change."

Maul smiled, and intervened. "Everyone knows that Anakin is weak. That is why he couldn't save his mother. That is why he left her to die. She died because you couldn't save her Anakin."

"No." Anakin yelled back, fighting his inner demons. "I wasn't there to save her." Shut up. Shut up. Shut up." He wanted them all to keep quiet, but the Dark Lords merely smiled and continued baiting him. Maul's face sharpened, and began to fill with anger. It was obvious that he was close; he had almost turned Anakin Skywalker. It was amazing. It was powerful. But the 'Chosen One' of Jedi Lore, and the Sith'ari of the Sith legacy had just faltered before him. He closed his eyes to concentrate; he could feel the presence of Vader inside of him, wallowing in the Dark Side, fighting to gain control.

Revan suddenly had it. An idea in his head. He approached Anakin suddenly, and harshly pushed his way into him, slamming the younger conflicted force user against the wall. "I have had it," he pronounced, yelling at him. He rammed his hands into his head, digging in at his temples, Anakin yelled in searing pain. "You will either turn, or you will suffer."

Anakin yelled suddenly, and continued as the memories flowed through him. Full of memory, pain, anger, loss and fear. The yells were making the walls shake, and Maul and the Sith were using their powers to keep it stable. Within the archives though the computers were breaking, and the walls were faltering and the screaming was deafening. He was powerful. One last yell made him fall into darkness.

The Darkness surrounded him. On the last yell and he fell back into his thoughts of Padme, and Obi-wan. He searched for them eagerly through the force, wanting to know if some sign of them could be felt. But there was nothing. He could feel nothing but Revan's power, and all of the other force users, then the Dark Side was before him, glowing ever menacingly near him. His was a power deep within the Dark Side, one so learned, full of wisdom and knowledge.

Above him he could see the mechanical arm bringing forth a large metallic object. This was the great helmet that, like his suit, would forever be his tomb. He would only ever know this suit, until the coming of the Second Empire. It would appear that no one would ever know the terrible damage concealed by the suit. It was only going to be used as a tool of evil, power un-compared with lesser people. It was foremost in his vow to appear invincible. It was only his thoughts that took care of him:

_Poised on a mechanized platform hovering above a river of lava, Anakin faced Obi-wan, former friend and mentor, but now revealed enemy. Obi-wan shouted at him from the safety of the rocky shoreline, "It's over Anakin. I have the high ground."_

_Over, Anakin thought. I don't think so. "You underestimate my power." The leap would not be that far, especially since he felt the Force running so strongly through him. He had tasted the Dark Side, and the sensation of it amazed him. His rage at and hatred of Obi-wan made the Force pulse through his muscles. It would only be one leap, and he would be on the shore to finish off Obi-wan._

"_Don't try it." Obi-wan had said. If only he had listened to him on that day._

_The Jedi had steered him from the Dark Side only because they knew how powerful it would make him. They knew that he was the 'Chosen One' only because of his high midi-chlorian count. His power was unchallenged to that of the Jedi or Sith. There was only one leap, and he could see that it wasn't that far. Hs power exceeded Obi-wans greatly, and he would take him down in that foul swoop. Only what he didn't realize what that this leap would be his downfall, and it would be his tomb. _

_He leaped high into the air, but he miscalculated the space that he would have on the high ground, and it was Obi-wan's saber that met his limbs that were now being remade on the table as he thought. _

Looking up at the helmet, he saw it menacingly approach his face, coming ever lower towards it inevitable contact with his suit. As it neared he saw it eyes open, and the infrared vision came on. The last he saw of the real world through his own eyes became his last vision of a hopeful future a he became utterly lost in the soul that became Darth Vader. Anakin Skywalker was lost when the helmet was placed on his head, and attached to his suit.

This time Darth Vader awoken from his thoughts before Obi-wan's lecture came, and then sometimes even the unbelievable pain of the lava lighting his body on fire. He could remember what the light-saber felt like when it slashed through his through three of his limbs, leaving him crippled on the rocks. That was enough for him to endure. But as he had though, the lecture was the most painful thing that he had to remember:

_Even as Anakin's crippled body lay down upon the rocks, slowly sliding down to meet the incredible hot lava that was beneath him, he could sense Obi-wan's pain. The undeniable pain in his old masters straining voice was evident. "You were the Chosen One. It was said that you would destroy the Sith not join them. Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness."_

_The only words that Anakin could conjure up, before and during his unbelievable amount pain of the lava lighting his body on fire were words of hatred: "Obi-wan??...I hate you." Amid all of the groans there was nothing but pain, and his old master could see that. _

_And then came the only comforting words of the old master. It was his last attempt to turn Anakin away from the Dark Side of the force. "You were my brother Anakin, I loved you." He pauses, looking at Anakin screaming in pain. "You threw all of your beliefs away because of your quest for eternal life. The Dark Side will only bring you unhappiness, and you will suffer more than anyone else would. By allowing this Dark Lord to enter your mind and your heart you became the very thing that you were sworn to destroy."_

_Yet they did nothing to sway the heart of the troubled apprentice. And as Obi-wan walked away all that could be heard were Anakin's groans and curses._

"_I hate you." _

It was only the sign of him leaving that gave Anakin the incentive to wake up. When he was awake, he could control his mind, and focus forward. But in sleep his mind betrayed him, and brought forth the events of his former life. It always took him awhile to regain his mental equilibrium after one of these dreams. Only the dreams with his wife could keep him sane. They kept him happy, and they kept him in pleasure, and peace.

Anakin awoke suddenly, the darkness leaving him behind, and his screams revealing much that would soon pass. He was powerful, the room was shaking and rocking, the bars were bending and the rocks and metallic walls were cracking in the power. The door suddenly collapsed in on itself, bending indefinitely. Maul and the Sith watched in horror as the metallic door suddenly fell down in a crumpled heap, then being sucked into the nexus, leaving the room becoming bathed in a bright light. Revan had to force his hands before him to keep himself from being thrown away into the wall or out of the room. He had to concentrate on keeping himself calm and remaining in command of the situation. _'Such power. It's amazing.'_ He thought to himself. He had never felt anything like it at all before in his lifetime. _'It's powerful. It's amazing. So amazing.'_

Anakin yelled once more, breaking some parts of the roof off, breaking them up into small chunks of metal. Bane was immediately thrown into the wall, and his screams of pain joined that of Anakin/Vader's. As the wall crumbled, Revan, Maul and the Sith Lords were pushed back into it, becoming squashed against the rock bed. "NO." Anakin was yelling suddenly, he could feel the power within him growing, becoming more and more aggressive, full of hate and anger. "No…..get out." He placed his hands to his head, and screamed as loud as he could. He was fighting Vader off somehow, keeping him from getting control over him.

Revan saw this, as Anakin and Vader began to vie for control of the body. He was convulsing, and having wild spasms. His yelling was at a pitch unheard of among all force users, or beings. All of the Sith Lord watched as they saw much of the debris floating, and disintegrating. They grew fearful all of a sudden. There was power in his ripples. The screams were deafening. The Sith priest saw that he was conflicted, and he carefully chose this moment to strike at him. The Dark lord smiled suddenly, and began to yell and chastise him. He smiled as he began to taunt him.

"Do you remember the tale of Darth Plagueis the Wise?" he smiled, knowing that this is what Sidious had told him as well.

Next to him, Revan heard him, and began to yell at the priest. He was pinned against the wall, but he was still able to yell. "Don't tell him that Bane. Don't tell him that for god's sake. He will crack. He can't handle the truth."

"He needs to know." The Sith yelled back, trying to use all of his power to stable himself and Vader. "We need him to know." He bellowed back, turning towards Vader. He smiled viciously. He was half yelling and bellowing at Vader, but also telling him exactly what had happened to him. It was more of an over confident calm yelling. "You recall that Darth Plagueis could influence the midi-chlorians to create life, and of how he could use this skill to save people from dying. Did you know that this skill was used in another, more literal way?"

"What are you talking about?" Anakin/Vader yelled back at him, his anger growing, his body seething with rage. Revan yelled again from the sides.

"Don't tell him, Priest." He was yelling higher than before. "Don't do it."

"Darth Plagueis decided to use this skill to create an apprentice who was extraordinarily gifted with the Force. He used the Force from a remote location, and he found a slave woman, and summoned the midi-chlorians to create life within her. Sound familiar to you, my brother? It should. It was how you were created. You were nothing but an experiment. You were Darth Plagueis' first and most successful experiment. He created you from the Force." He paused for a moment and looked at the struggling apprentice. "You are nothing but a Sith creation. And experiment. The Jedi 'Chosen One' was created by the Sith." He smiled viciously all of a sudden, watching as Vader's wide eyes narrowed all of a sudden. "I do love irony."

"You were created by the Sith Vader, to work for the Sith." The Priest pronounced slowly. "In everything that you did, every machination, you were doing the bidding of the Dark Side. When you killed your mother, it was the will of the Dark Side that she die."

"No." Anakin stated calmly, but definitely hurt by that statement.

"Yes." The priest continued. "It was also its will that you attempt to seduce Padme Amidala. And it will also be its will that she die. You will kill her in the end."

"No."

"Yes Vader." The priest yelled at him, bellowing into Sith Lord that was trying to escape. "She betrayed you in the end, you say? She joined the alliance, and betrayed the Emperor, she betrayed you, and then Obi-wan hid the children from you." Bane began to accuse him all of a sudden. "But it was you that killed her in the end. You broke her heart. Because of you she lost the will to live, and she died in solitude. Your betrayal will be far greater than hers will ever be."

"NOOOO." The priest was not prepared for all that was about to happen. Much like a force push, he was pushed through the wall. The bars them completely vanished from the cell. The wall that marked the hallway was destroyed. The force of the explosion ripped a large part of the superstructure above them down into the ground, collapsing on the inhabitants within the caves and caverns of the underground lair. Vader had been unleashed. Anakin Skywalker had been destroyed. He was gone. It was like they had suddenly been ripped apart from each other. Two different identities had just separated from each other. Another scream and there was nothing but silence, as the roof of the cell collapsed upon him. Then the thoughts came into his mind.

His failure. Failure was a constant theme in his life. It was to be his hallmark. He always failed those most important to him, his mother, his wife, the Jedi Order, Obi-wan, and now, maybe his children. He knew that his wife was pregnant. And he knew that she would have to live on without him. He knew that his children would live on without a father, and he knew that he had failed his master. What else could be expected of someone who was an experimental creation, someone that was created as a mere tool for others? Bane's voice rang in his ears. The Dark lord of the Sith had taunted him, and he ha been unleashed.

Whether he was the Chosen One or not, he had chosen the path that would lead him to his destiny. From his days as a slave on Tatooine, he had not improved his circumstances much, especially as far as controlling his own destiny. Yet he had achieved greater power, for now he was a force to be reckoned with.

It was at that moment that Revan struck, using his power that he was able to muster forth, he fired forth with a powerful Force push. Vader faltered all of a sudden, and behind him the nexus called to him. The Dark Lord yelled out to him. "It is time Vader," Revan had to bellow over the show of power. "It is time to accept your DESTINY." With one final push he threw Vader into the white light of the nexus, consuming him, and bathing him in the power of the Force. He would be the one to control it in the End. It was his power that was bought him strength.

Vader faltered, and flew away. The room became deadly silent, and the door to the nexus had been blocked by debris. The Sith Lord's released themselves from their prisons against the wall. Revan stared at the debris before him, blocking the entrance. He had never before felt something so powerful, so deadly, so real, and he was only a ten year old boy. Even if Vader was within him, the boy should still not have been able to handle it. He merely stared from the rubble and looked at the Priest, who had a look of utter shock written on his face, and there was no doubt that he was thinking that he was going to be screwed when Vader was released from that nexus prison.

Within the nexus vortex itself, Darth Vader, encased in the bodily form of Anakin Skywalker hovered where he lay, being absorbed, and absorbing the nexus of the Dark Side, for the most oldest, ancient and darkest of the Sith Academies. He was getting powers that he had never felt before.

Yet, with all of this power, he had never felt so alone.

(A/N: I never actually intended for Revan to be in this, it just sort of happened as I was writing this chapter. He just appeared in there, there being my head, and I followed on from there. But in the end, it will make more sense in the later stories that I do which will follow on from this one.)

(Also, what happens above to Anakin in the Dark Side Force power nexus is similar to what happens to Kyle Katarn when he goes back to the Valley of the Jedi in Jedi Knight II: Jedi Academy, to regain his Force powers; except in this one, Anakin become stronger, adding the power of the nexus to his own power.)

* * *

Within the Jedi Temple, Master Yoda was in deep meditation, trying to find out where he could source out the Dark Side. The Shroud of the Dark Side covered everything. He took in silent but deep breaths. Next to him Mace Windu was quietly sitting, and near to him was also Obi-wan Kenobi, who was in meditation, trying to find where his old master was, hoping he was still alive. 

Suddenly, as if unexpected, a great force ripple fell over them, shocking them. Both Mace and Obi-wan opened their eyes, the force of the blow was too much for them to handle. They were visibly shaken by the amount of power that had been distributed to them. Yoda on the meantime had focused himself on the ripple. He could hear variants of screams, and great fear and anger resonating from it.

Mace turned to him suddenly. "What is it?" he asked in a silent and concerned voice.

Yoda struggled for a moment, twitching his head as if in pain himself. "Pain. Suffering." He said suddenly. "Young Skywalker is in terrible pain. The darkness is creeping into him. Twisted by the Dark Side young Skywalker has become. Flows through him it does. Such power."

"Can you find him, master?" Obi-wan asked suddenly, a bit skeptical, but hopeful. He still hoped that the young boy was still alive, as they had heard reports that he had been taken by the Sith. He had hoped that it was wrong, but now, it seemed, that they were wrong in their decision, and they would pay for it.

"Indeed I cannot." Yoda pronounced sorrowfully. "Hidden his is in a place strong in the force." Another ripple suddenly flowed towards them, shaking their resolve. It was stronger than the last one. "Skywalker has become divided. Mind, body, soul and spirit. Different the Force has become. Changed he has. Something terrible about to happen it is."

* * *

The nexus rose around him, beckoning him to come. It was a white light, meaning that it was nothing more than pure Force energy. It came from the Dark Side, and would be returned to the Dark Side. Then as Anakin looked above him he saw a beam of pure energy wrapping itself around a small area around him. It coiled around his legs all of a sudden, and as soon as it fell upon his chest, it entered his body, causing him to bellow out loud, rocking the foundations of the powerful nexus archive. 

Revan and the Sith were staring at the door, waiting for something to happen. Almost as soon as they had wished it, they were sent flying back towards the wall again. The Force ripple was the largest one that had yet appeared. Before them now though, the debris blocking the nexus exploded, sending the rocks flying in all directions.

The explosion was so loud that it rocked the foundations of the Archives. As the rocks left the doorway, there was an expending amount of heat and energy that quickly consumed the two shadow guards that blocked the door. There was a major rumble throughout the entire structure that could be felt from its highest peak and tower, to the very bowels of construction. After the heat had subsided, there was a major wave of cold air that suddenly froze over the area of the doorway. Immediately after that, it shattered. There was one last major yell, and then a great explosion, which consumed the computerized area, causing the entire structure to collapse in on itself.

The cavernous catacombs were full of smoke and debris, clogging up many of the hallways and corridors of the underground Sith hideaway. The extension of the damage was beyond repute, it was unbelievable the amount of damage that Darth Vader had caused to their place of solitude. And the power that he had used to do it was phenomenal at best. Truth be told, Revan had expected something like this, but it was not what he had actually expected power wise.

The rubble cleared away suddenly, and the figure of the Dark Lord steeped out of the debris, his clothing having become entombed in white coloured dust. He strode among the ruins, among the rocks and the large chunks of metal. From within him the Force began it to radiate, becoming more menacing and more powerful. In his last attack, he had sent off something that was much like a Force push, except that it had made the Sith priest fall through a number of walls, each collapsing in turn. Both Maul and Revan though had collapsed under the sheer pressure of the power, crushed by the falling roof, which blocked most of the computerized area, making escape impossible.

As Vader continued his journey through the holes of the remaining walls, he found his man peacefully sitting, no lying down among the debris. Lucky for Vader that the priest was unconscious where he lay, covered in blood and dust. The Dark Lord could tell immediately that he had a number of broken bones. He was radiating in the negative energy of the Force. Even while he was knocked out he was still powerful. Vader thought that it would have been best to put him out of his misery. Calling to his hands the lightsaber that lay on the ground, he ignited it carefully, unaware that he was being watched by another of the Dark Lords that were present within the confined space. The crimson blade etched out of the small cylindrical tube, its power radiating through the force. Vader smiled as he noticed its singular beauty. He paused for a moment and looked down below him, readying himself for the strike.

Darth Vader's smile etched into a giant grin. He was going to kill the priest, the man who had set him free of his binds. The man who had made him turn into the complete monster that he was now. He licked his lips as his eyes widened, and as he went in for the kill he raised his lightsaber up into the air. As it came down though he felt a ripple beside him, and he turned, coming face to face with his foe. In an instant, the priest was in the air, parrying himself away from the strike. They both stared at each other for a moment, their eyes widening. There was tension between them, the Force was emanating from their position. They neither noticed nor felt the awakening perceptions of Maul or Revan. As the priest lifted up his head and stared at a clearer view of Vader, he noticed that he was now fully grown. He was older and taller than he had been when he had entered. It seemed that the nexus had force him to grow older, and age about fifteen years as he could not hold the energy otherwise. Anakin was his normal self before he had become Darth Vader, long hair, a scar across his right eye, arrogant, indecisive, and consumed by the Dark Side.

It didn't take as long as it was expected too, but immediately theca priest whipped out his own saber, igniting it as he could read Vader's intentions. Their red sabers connecting just above him. For a moment he knew nothing but fear, and watched silently as their fight began. Anakin made the first move, striding towards the priest with a parried assault. He recovered quickly from the blocked attack, striking again. For a brief instant, the priest felt a pang of regret. Regret for what the Sith had done to Anakin Skywalker. He was powerful in the force, but had to dwell within the power of the Dark Side to save his wife. Not only this though, but for someone who was meant to destroy the Sith, he had become the thing that he was foresworn to destroy.

Vader, who was younger and more physically fit, and above all he was faster. Though he was burdened with prosthetics, such as his arm, he was still deadlier than the count had expected. Vader knew that he would have to become accustomed to fighting an opponent who had spent his whole life within the force. The priest was such a man. He was older and nearing his death as it was. The custom of the Sith was that they live for a few hundred years before dying. He could only fight in such a manner that he was now because of the 'supposed power in the Dark Side, and its ability to lengthen lives.'

Vader came at the priest in a fury of rage, his yellow eyes set burning hatred in his face, and they glowed with a type of anticipation that was seldom seen. Both hands wrapped around the hilt of his saber as he swung and twisted it at his opponent's thigh--and then immediately pivoted and came around for a strike at the Sith's shoulder. The Kissai, who had anticipated such a feint, merely sidestepped and brought his blade up to block the shoulder cut, absorbing the slight jar as Vader's blade crashed into his own. At this Vader jumped high into the air, landing some meters away into between the Archives.

Immediately Dooku came at him, his saber primed and at the attack position. He swung hard as he came at Vader, but was blocked by a harsher attack. Vader then lashed out, grabbing the Kissai's head, and squeezed hard, making him drop his saber. He screamed out loud, and soon noticed that Maul and Revan were near him, watching as Vader took the initiative. Using all his strength, Vader began to draw all of the Dark Side energy away from the Sith warrior. The other Sith watched in horror as the body of the Sith Priest simply became limp. It started to waver where it was being held, wiping itself across the floor. Suddenly the skin appeared to disappear from the body, being wiped away.

Carefully he stared at the Kissai as he hung in his arms, and Vader looked into its yes, just before they closed. "You have been deemed unnecessary by the New Sith Order," he said in an almost silent whisper. "You have played your part in resurrecting me, but now you will die for your Lord. You are the first death of the New Order. Congratulations." He seemed to be in an almost laughing manner, and although he seemed to hate the Kissai Priest, he was enjoying killing him in a comical way.

The body flapped to the floor, causing no dint of any kind in the hard stone floor. It was merely an empty shell. After Vader had killed him, he brought his eyes up to Revan and Maul, who were staring at him in shock. He smiled at them, devilishly, and in a sick and malicious way.

* * *

Yoda was standing at the edge of the Jedi Temple, observing the storm outside above the fair city of Coruscant. He was in deep meditation. And there was reason to be, considering on what he had just seen through his visions. A new evil had arisen just recently, its power overshadowing the normal straits of the Dark Side. What puzzled him the most was that as soon as the new presence appeared, the presence of Anakin Skywalker vanished, as if it had never been. The darkness was deepening, and the sight of the Jedi was diminishing. 

"Remain focused the Jedi have to be." He said to himself suddenly, watching as the lightening hit the metallic city spires. "Darker the coming storm becomes. The Dark Cloud of the Sith enshrouds us all."

He knew that soon, the Jedi Order would be facing their toughest trials **yet.**

* * *

Darth Sidious felt the amicable force presence appear suddenly as if it had come out of nowhere. Indeed it was more powerful than anything else that he had ever felt before. More so than him. Something new had risen in the Galaxy, a new terror bent on destruction and power. From now on the Dark Lord of the Sith had to be wary, and he had to keep an eye out for his apprentices, and allies. 

He closed his eyes suddenly, and thought of the coming presence in the Force. Something had changed, as if by the will of the Force itself. Either for better or worse, he did not yet know, but soon, he would find out for sure.

* * *

"Thank you, my Master," Vader replied reverently, bowing down as he met his master by hologram. His hand slipped into the folds of his tunic as he placed his hands against his chest as a sign of allegiance. 

"Rise, my apprentice," the cloaked figure appealed. As usual the figure in the hologram was wearing the customary black cloak that shrouded the features on a person's face, as to hide his identity. In a distinctive tone he continued, watching Vader closely. "I have heard that you dispatched my Sith Priest, Lord Vader."

"Indeed I did, my master," Vader replied, his long hair swishing from side to side as he spoke. He no longer had the glowing red eyes, or the irrational yellow one. They were back to their pure dark colour, as if he remained calm and efficient. "He was evidently getting on my nerves, and unfortunately I had to dispose of him, and I found him the least likely of those whom I would favour a alliance with."

The figure remained cloaked for a moment before reply. "I see." He claimed quietly as he heard his apprentice's explanation. "However, you must know that I do not tolerate this kind of attitude among my subordinates. This infighting must stop, and there must be unification. If anything happens, then soon there will be consequences."

"I understand, my master." Vader replied in a smug turn. He had no intention of following the Dark Lord, and obeying his as his Emperor. Demitrius was a fool, he knew nothing of the business of ruling, and had not long been a Sith. There was no reason for him to be around, as he would not obey someone with that type of power anyway. Demitrius was weak and ineffective. Next to him Revan made his way forward, stopping before his master. he bowed curtly, and as Vader looked up he saw that the mask and hood were on his head once more. It was of course his symbol, like it was for Vader in his mask and suit.

"How have the plans gone, my lord?" Revan asked in a cheerful voice, queering his master as how the resurrection was going.

"Ah yes, the plans?" Demitrius queried quietly to himself, trailing off as he did so. Both Vader and Revan picked it up, and took it as that the plans were not going as well as it should be. It was obviously not working, or the subject was being difficult.

"Unfortunately for us, it seems that the spirit of Exar Kun is determined to remain where he is, and not want anything to do with our plans. He even scorned me earlier by remarking tat I would not last on the throne." He chided himself for a moment. "I have no need of people like that who will not support me."

"Indeed you do not, my Lord," Vader answered in agreement. He was actually wondering how he was going to be controlled. He had such an immense power now, that he would have to be feared. Within time though he would roll over his opposition. Already he could tell that Maul and Revan feared him, as they seemed to be moving away from him at a slow rate. "you should only have those who would serve you."

"I should, shouldn't I." Demitrius returned. He sighed suddenly as he felt the Dark Lord's eyes on him. Even through the hologram, Vader still had an effect on people. "This plan of mine has failed, and I am in need of a new strategy. I will be returning to you soon, my friends."

The hologram phased out, and Vader got up from his kneeling position and then started for the door, but noticed that something was holding him back. As he turned suddenly he saw that Revan had removed his helmet and placed it in his right arm. He was motioning for Maul to remain behind as well while the other Sith Lord filtered out of the room. As soon as it was quiet, and they were alone, Revan spoke.

"I apologize for keeping you back like this, but it is the only way for us to talk in private," he began by saying, not sure how the others would react. He waited, stretching out with his senses and as soon as he knew that everything was clear, he spoke again. "I have doubts that Demitrius should lead us."

Maul seemed interested in this prospect, and came to his Masters defence. As he was a fellow Zabrak anyway, they had to stick together. "Demitrius has led us well over the past decade or so, why do you have a problem with him now?" he spoke in his silent tone.

"I don't think that he is fit to lead," Revan interjected. He paused for a moment, licking his lips in confidence. "He seems, well, rather, out of place as soon as he had heard that Vader had accepted, and had entered the vortex. He obviously fears you, Vader, fears what you may become."

"Or he fears what I might do to him." Vader stated calmly, but yet in a stern manner. "While we were talking I sensed his fear, and apparent hesitation. He is not fit, in my belief, to be a leader. Unlike Revan here, I have heard that he was a very powerful man, very charismatic. Even from his youthfulness he had people surrounding him. As have I in this world, people were grouped around me from when I was just eight. I got Marcellus and his gangs to aid in helping me make Mos Espa a crime town."

"Yes, but you didn't have much power back then." Maul intervened, but was cut off by Vader.

"It doesn't matter," Vader chided for a moment, answering sharply. "I am merely saying that Demitrius seemed, rather distracted from his actual goal. He was, more or less, not focused on the now. If he is not focused then he should not be made into the Emperor when the time comes. We need a leader who is wise, charismatic, can unify and motivate people, and can understand the military, and relate to them. But also, besides this, he needs to be a leader of the people."

"And who do you suggest?" Maul began sharply. "Do you think that you would be a perfect candidate, or perhaps even Revan."

Vader smiled for a moment. "What I think, doesn't count. Personally I think that I would make a great leader, but I would prefer leading men into battle. But on the other hand, Revan here is a good candidate."

"What?" Revan stumbled over his own words for a moment. Vader had just offered him to become the new Emperor, in place of Demitrius. "You can't be serious?"

"Indeed, I am." Vader returned. "It is relatively simple really. You see, I would place you as Emperor, and you would be a threat to Demitrius just as long as he proved useful to us. After we dispatch of him, we make amends and I will place you on the throne as the figure head of the Empire. Maul and I will be your _de facto_ lieutenants, and will do most of the protecting and…"

"This should be discussed at a later date." Revan interjected. Maul nodded his head in agreement. Vader followed suit. "We will need a clear head as soon as we are able. But as of this moment, Lord Vader, I have something that you will need to take care of."

"What is they bidding, my master?" Vader asked in a deep tone, reminiscent of his tone when he was under Sidious' command.

Revan smiled, and thought that Vader would surely enjoy this. "Due to that you have absorbed, part of the vortex, and that has made you stronger, you will be in need of some intense training."

"Training?" Vader asked curiously.

"Yes." Revan countered quickly. "You see, it concerns the immense knowledge within the Archives, and the next ten years… "

he was cut off sharply by Vader who merely looked askance at him. he cocked his head to one side, and merely stared. "Before that, my master," he paused for a moment. "There is one things which must be taken care of."

Revan too cocked his head, interested in what the new Dark Lord of the Sith was suggesting.

* * *

That was a different one, wasn't it? I actually found it exciting. 

Please review.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – Mission

* * *

Qui-gon Jinn had heard it all in his life. From the very beginning, as a Jedi apprentice, then to a Jedi Master, and eventually to where he was now, in the service of his old master, Count Dooku. Together he and Dooku had been making things better, though secretly around the galaxy for the past few months, of course it had been made to work for the Chancellor, Palpatine, and they seemed to enjoy each others company. It was this that made them work together so well.

Of course, it was a strange relationship. Qui-gon was the ever aspiring and conniving ex-Jedi Master, and he was actually becoming wealthier in working with the Chancellor. As always though, he sought to aspire to greater deeds in life, and he was none the suspect of the working of his old master. Count Dooku, a man who had become disenheartened with the Jedi Order for the past ten years. It was true, they were failing, and falling into a degrading composure, and they were now but a shadow of what they had formerly been in the past. Yet what made Dooku special was that he was a Sith, and it seemed that Qui-gon was unaware of his relationship with the Sith Master, who was their employer.

It stumped Dooku though, that Qui-gon hadn't yet found out that the Sith, and what was even stranger was that Qui-gon and Palpatine had been having secret meetings for the past few weeks. All he had found out was that they were planning something, but what it was he didn't know.

Yet, in the end, Dooku was sure that Qui-gon knew more that he let on. But, it still didn't worry him though.

Together Qui-gon and Dooku walked through the arches of the narrow corridors of the senate offices, making their way to the private office of Palpatine. They had been summoned by him for a reason, and they had yet to find out why. They had both hidden their feelings from each other for a reason, and made sure that their minds could not be read at all. Though they may have been good friends, their relationship had strained itself, and there was high suspicion between them.

This was one of the only days within the senate that had been closed down for a while. Palpatine himself had requested that all senators and government take the day off, although they were operating on a skeleton crew of officials who kept the government going. But mostly, it was empty, and partly eyrie. They did seem to read each others thoughts on this, as they were both thinking it at the same time. There was something odd about the proposal of the Chancellor, mainly because you just don't let people off for one day. The government would never usually take a rest, but Palpatine had made sure that they did. And, as usual, the Jedi were non-complacent with what was happening, as they didn't think that it was suspicious at all. Just merely odd.

Breathing in slightly, Qui-gon motioned himself forward towards the lift, pressing the button and waiting silently. He turned and gazed at his master, and noticed how reserved that he was. Although he didn't show it, Dooku seemed on edge about something. Dooku complacently eyed him back, and as their eyes met, they understood that there was something that was going to happen. Qui-gon turned back towards the elevator all of a sudden, and stared at the buttons above the small dial, and saw that it was still a few floors above where they were. Once again he turned to his old master turned partner aimed a pointed look at him.

"What do you think this is about?" he asked at the older man turned to meet his gaze.

Dooku chuckled to himself, and returned his gaze back to the elevator doors before him. He sighed inwardly, in a silent fashion. "You would be better to know more than I, my _friend_." He strained that remark, making sure he understood that things had strained between them.

Qui-gon didn't answer, but merely refrained from answering. He knew what his partner was talking about. All of those secret meetings between him and Palpatine had partly left him out of the loop. Of course, both he and the Chancellor had said that they would not speak about what they were actually talking about, and apparently, all he would say to the older man was that everything would be revealed to him at the proper time.

In reality, at this moment, there was nothing that they really needed to talk about as they would soon know what was going to happen when they were in the meeting with Palpatine. It was all still strange to Qui-gon though, as it seemed that he had gotten into this position of power of sorts too easily. He was still trying to figure it out. He closed his eyes, trying to figure it all out.

He remembered his position with the Jedi Council, always arguing and contemplating the future, and how things should proceed. After his apparent loss of Anakin before the council, he had lost much of his prestige and power within the order, he had lost status, and everyone knew it. Yet, although he was sure that Anakin was the Chosen One of Jedi prophecy, they would never find out as Anakin was killed soon after when they returned him to Tatooine. Yet, in the end, his whole small settlement had been destroyed.

He could still remember the charred flesh of the victims, the smell of debris and death. There was more blood in that memory of his than there ever was in any of his other memories to date. And it was strange, that there were only a total of three survivors in the end, and all of them were from the Queens party, the Queen herself was found by Qui-gon, and Sabe and Captain Panaka had been found later on by the inquisition team sent there by the Chancellor.

Qui-gon had to flush those memories away quickly, shutting them within his inner mind. He winced in pain, and Dooku, next to him, noticed a small ripple envelope itself off of him, he quickly and steadily averted his eyes towards him. The aged man watched his old friends eyes shut profusely, as if in great pain. He thought that he should comfort him all of a sudden, but even as he motioned forwards to aid him, he was consumed by a more powerful Force ripple.

Clasping his hand towards his heart he doubled over in pain, kneeling on the ground. Next to him Qui-gon placed his hand on the metallic wall, forcing himself to hold himself up. There was a great amount of power within the ripple, so much that even a minor Force sensitive could have felt it. Both of them winced in pain, as the power swelled over them. Suddenly though, even as it began, it stopped. Qui-gon made his way over to his master, and cast a quick, curious glance into his eyes before picking him up.

Wherever that came from, it was more powerful than usual.

* * *

Within the Jedi Council Chambers, Yoda clutched his heart carefully, absorbing some of the power that came over him. Next to him, Mace Windu and some of the other council members fell to the ground, shaking and convulsing in pain. Whatever they were feeling, it was strong. Yoda remained complacent though, using his own Force power to try to steady himself. he sensed carefully though the Force, trying to find the source, yet before he could do so, it vanished as if it had never been there.

It stumped Yoda all of a sudden, for a Force power to suddenly appear and then disappear. It was strange, but it had happened before, just not this powerful. Whoever had it had to have complete control over their emotions, and their power. Complete control.

Yoda sighed to himself, he knew the darkness was deepening. The Dark Side of the Force was growing more powerful by the day, and was shrouding the power of the Jedi. He would have to admit that Qui-gon was right indeed, that the Sith had returned, but, whether or not he was correct about the boy was another thing. Indeed, his loss was felt, but there was something else though that didn't make sense of what had been happening. Before he could unravel what he was thinking he opened his eyes, and stared at Mace, who was seated next to him.

Their eyes met carefully before either one of them spoke. "Powerful it was," Yoda summarized. "Yet not meant to be it was."

Mace stared at him cocked eyed. "What was it master?" he aimed in a curious tone, knowing that Yoda was one of the most powerful Force users in the galaxy. If he couldn't figure it out, than no one could.

"Unknow what it is that I do not know," he pursed, his lips falling together. "Powerful it was indeed in the Force. Strong I am as well, but not that strong. Meditate on this I will."

Mace nodded in his direction. Silently he motioned for the others to leave the room, the council would have to be adjourned for the rest of the day until the source could be found.

* * *

Like the Jedi, Chancellor Palpatine felt the powerful Force ripple, making him stiffen in his seat. He became reserved all of a sudden, rotating his shoulders in a strange way. He swallowed in a slow manner, widening his senses to see if he could find the source of the intrusion within the Force. At the same time though he made sure that the Jedi didn't sense him. Sitting up straighter in his chair he faced three med seated before him, studying them in turn. The three other men seated in the room before him would have missed it unless they were Force sensitive, which Palpatine knew that two of them were.

Senator Jovial was a man of great importance. He had significant power, but was thought to be a man of differential prospect as all that he did rotated around finance. He owned many banks, and had many accounts imbedded with those rival corporations. Obviously he was here because he was going to be used to fund something, but what that was though was unknown.

The two other senators that Palpatine were speaking of were senators Decius Trialus and Phylus Traya, each a senator from Commenor and Balmorra respectively. The Chancellor stared at them carefully, sensing the depth that their power went, and making sure that they couldn't feel his dark aura. It was true that he didn't want to be found out by a couple of untrained Force sensitive senators from those planets as they would well be great allies, so he had to be sure that they couldn't sense anything of him at all.

As soon as he was done this, he stared at his desk, bringing his hands up to his face, and interlacing them in a connective way. He stared down at his desk upon doing so, and watched the paper before him. Both Trialus and Traya had been determined in the past week to allow a committee to go to Naboo to assess the damage that the Trade Federation had imposed upon the planet, of course they had to do this in a covert way as the Federation had a reputation, and certain allies in high circles.

He nodded his head to one side, and flicked through the paper again, reading through the lines. It mentioned many things about support for the Nubian people, as well as aide. Both of these senators present knew that since the Chancellor was from Naboo that he would most likely have to sign off from it. not only because it was his home, but as the Trade Federation had been imposed upon the planet for longer than had been expected, and yet, there was the problem of the Queen and her small party who were ambushed planet side on Tatooine. Many things had gone wrong in the past, and it seemed hard for anyone to understand the threat that this actually made.

The Chancellor sighed, and once more motioned his head to stare at the three pairs of eyes before him. Next to him Amedda stiffened, and nodded in a way that made the Chancellor understand what he needed to do. Licking his lips in anticipation he stared at Traya, as it was his proposal.

"So you propose to…enter into Nubian space under a flag of truce, and somehow get passed the Trade Federation blockade and help my planet." He paused momentarily and cocked his eyebrows in an amused way. "Is that what you are suggesting?"

This time it was Traya's turn to stiffen, but he did so with ease, and soon became composed in a clam way. Palpatine noted his dark hair and blue eyes. The Force sensitivity made him more the opponent that Palpatine needed, but it also made him the staunchest ally. Besides the Force sensitivity though, Phylus Traya was actually a deadly politician, and he had been able to force many influential senators from their posts, many of whom had committed suicide later, but he was well off from suspicion which made the Chancellor wonder what exactly he was involved in.

Beside him though was Decius Trialus, a man of great renowned and experience. It was true that he was a Zabrak, and his own cousin was the Jedi Master Agen Kolar. He had been fighting in politics for as long as Palpatine, and always got his way in the end. He had ascended to the seat of Commenor in such a strange fashion that many believed that it be luck. He was barely a known person within his own political structure, and in a way, as everyone else was mainly human on that planet; it was outstanding that he was able to defeat all of the opponents that were against him. He was an alien representing a mainly human world, and apart from that, the people somehow adored him. Palpatine was drawn away from this thought of the two main senators as the Traya spoke before him.

"Your worship," Traya began, shifting in his seat. "May I say that this is a necessary measure for the protection of the galaxy, either at you planet, or at large. You have been elected with a great sympathy vote, and besides this, yo8u have done nothing to liberate your planet from the Federation. I am stepping forward with an idea that may work."

"May?" Palpatine asked in an incredulous way.

"There are a few flaws," the man continued. "But it does ascertain victory."

"There are always going to be flaws, senator," the Chancellor replied in a cool tone. "As there mainly are in your plans." He felt Traya narrow his eyes in protest against that remark, but the Chancellor ignored it and continued as if nothing had happened. "But in this plan here, you seem to use the word support many times, more than any other word. Is it aid in food or weapons that you will support my planet in getting its freedom?"

Before Traya could reply, Trialus interrupted him, hoping to explain more clearly. "My Lord," he stated in a careful way that it made Palatine unnerving. "There are so many possible outcomes to this plan, but many have come to the conclusion that you are not up to what it takes to be a proper leader. Traya did say that we all voted for you as you have our sympathy, but you have scantly done anything to aid your people…"

Palpatine interrupted him, his eyes narrowed and nose screwed up. "I have done all that I can in my power, but the Federation has ceased to acknowledge my ascension to Chancellor. All of the delegations that I have sent to them have been for naught, they have all disappeared. I have sent aid to them many times, especially food and weapons, but what you purpose here," he slammed his fist down on the table, making the document flatter, "is to send a fleet of ships, both armed and transport, to deliver food, if by force, and to liberate my planet. I cannot allow this to happen."

"My lord, it is essential for our security."

"You are pretty far away from Naboo, Trialus" Palpatine sneered, "You have nothing to fear."

"But I am near enough to Cato Neimoida." He stated in an equal tone to the Chancellor. "As is Coruscant."

Palpatine reared in his chair, and inclined his gaze at the man. There was a suspicious glance in his eyes. "Are you suggesting that we may be invaded within time?"

"Naboo was…"

"The Federation would never dare go that far." Palpatine declared in a casual way. He seemed almost sure of himself. The other Chancellors seemed to notice this, but remained in an even stance as they aimed their looks at the Chancellor.

"We never thought that they would go this far with Naboo, but they have," Traya once more incurred in a silent, but pointed tone. He pointed towards the document before Palpatine. "All that we need is in the document. "It is true that we will go with armed ships to relieve Naboo, but its liberation will be essential. We have all heard stories of how the people are treated there, and as far as I am concerned the Trade Federation is evil. They need to be stopped before more planets succumb to their wrath. They have already made the first steps in a galactic domination. It is war!"

"I will not risk open war," Palpatine declared in a sternful manner. "We cannot afford the losses, and the Defense Fleet is merely of protective nature against enemies. By using this force against them, we will be left with no choice but open war."

"Open war is upon you Chancellor," a new voice entered suddenly, "whether you would risk it or not."

The three senators plus Amedda turned and stared at the incomers. Palpatine nodded in his chair as he saw Qui-gon standing in a calm but stern manner with his arms pressed against his hips. Behind him Dooku was leaning against the wall in a casual way, his arms folded and presented in a dutiful manner. The Chancellor breathed in and nodded his head for them to enter. They neared in a slow manner, making the three senators turn and face Palpatine.

Staring at them carefully Palpatine smiled. "That will be all for today gentlemen. We shall continue this discussion later. "

The three senators looked impassive at this, and knowing that the Chancellor had just made up his mind about the subject they carefully got up and bowed to him in turn, and then quietly left passed the two men who had entered the room. They didn't seem to care who they were, but nodded in their direction as they passed. The Jedi did come forward though and they sat in the vacant chairs, and smiled at their employer.

The three senators though evacuated the private residence of the Chancellor and made their way into the corridor. They traced their steps into the hallway and paused around a corner. Decius turned and stared at the other two behind him. "What just happened in there?" he seemed to be at a loss, as if in a careful contemplative state.

Jovial this time spoke up. "He is just being cautious." He motioned, continuing down the hallway. "He is just covering his tracks, making sure that he has covered all other options before he continues."

"No he's not." Traya entered into the conversation. "There is something more going on here. I would have enacted this process if it was my planet that was being invaded and taken over. It has been four months since Naboo was taken, and he has not done a thing about it. he is being too careful if you ark me, and too slow."

"It's the decisive moment," Jovial once more established. "He is just waiting for it. And four months is not a long time…"

"It is when you know that your people are starving and dying in concentration camps," Trialus stated in a detestable way. "And being executed in a rogue fashion. After all that had happened with the Queen, and his election, you would think that his move against the Trade Federation would have been sooner, and swifter."

"He is still adjusting to the job. Let him have his wait."

--

Dooku was pacing back and forth in the Chancellors office, and both Qui-gon and Palpatine were watching him carefully. As soon as the senators had left he had gotten into a argument about why he had been left out of the loop between the private discussion between Qui-gon and the Chancellor. But, as usual, he had been told that everything will be revealed in time, and thus he had been pacing for a while. It was then that Palpatine made Qui-gon leave the room, and he began to don his Sith status and rendering his cowl, he began his conversation with his apprentice, obscuring the facts on what was happening between the trio.

"It is none of your concern, Tyranus," Sidious spoke in a dark manner, making the other Sith Lord quake in his shoes. "What goes on between me and Qui-gon Jinn is of no concern with my apprentice."

"It concerns me as he is my partner, my lord," Dooku began, "and also as he is, or was once my apprentice."

"Enough Tyranus," Sidious ordered him suddenly, making the ex-Jedi's head bow down to the floor. "This bickering is pointless, I will not have it." he paused again and stared at his apprentice, in deep thought. "How was your mission?"

"A failure, my lord." Dooku pronounced carefully, making sure the message got across. He had faced the wrath of his master before, and knew that he would most likely be punished if he didn't succeed, or even to that, tell the truth.

"A failure?" Sidious echoed into a question. "How so?"

The Sith apprentice chocked all of a sudden, swallowing hard. "Gunray refused to admit me. I was told that the Sith Master had told him that he was to maintain this blockade indefinitely."

"I ordered no such thing." Sidious said sharply, making the walls shake slightly. He was angered beyond what was expected. The attack upon Naboo was only meant to secure his place into the Chancellorship; it was never about the trade disputes. It had been going on for longer than he had expected, he had not yet done a thing, and yet, he had also expected the Jedi to do something about it, but they hadn't even made a move.

"I know, my lord," Dooku explained. "But it is what he said." He could feel his masters anger and distaste rising. "He also claimed that it was through your apprentice that he was ordered to maintain this…attack."

"You ordered it!?" the Dark Lord moved forward in a careful manner. His words were hissing now. "You betrayed me. You ordered those attacks without my permission."

"No, my lord," Dooku quickly refrained, retreating back into a corner. He made his way to a seat and crouched carefully in it. "I ordered no such attack, I have only ordered what I have been told. And as far as I was aware I was the only Sith apprentice."

"You are," Sidious motioned. He breathed in quietly. This was getting out of hand. He knew above all that whoever had taken over command of the Federation fleet was masking himself as a Sith Lord, and since he had Gunray frightened he had to be Force sensitive. A dark Jedi perhaps? He thought suddenly. It wouldn't be surprising as Gunray was scared out of his wits. Besides this though, he had ordered that the Federation starve the population of Naboo, and use the Gunguns as slave labour, which, in a way, wasn't surprising.

He had heard the stories, of the massacres and killings. About the mass murders and all of the concentration camps. Supposedly the city of Theed itself was deserted. In the past four months he had done hardly anything to ease the sufferings of the people of Naboo. They were his people. They had elected him to the position of senator, and they had also elected him to command of the government in the first place. Besides this though, it was with their help that he had become Chancellor. It was all down to a sympathy vote.

"What shall I do, my lord?" Dooku asked, snapping Palpatine back to attention. The Chancellor stared back at the small man before him, and peered through the darkness of his cowl at the man's face.

"You will find out who this apparent Sith apprentice is," he said in a small hiss. "And you shall dispose of him. There can only ever be two. I have no interests in thorns in my side. They are merely a nuisance and must be taken out quickly."

"Yes, my master." Dooku silently motioned, nodding to his master.

* * *

That was a bit different wasn't it.

Please Review.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Alliances and Manipulations

* * *

Chancellor Palpatine stared at the image before him. I was a bit phased out, but it still clear enough to make sense of the person that he was talking to. Beside him he had both Amidala and her small entourage of followers, from her own security to Bail Organa. On the other side there were some of the Jedi Council including Yoda, Master Windu and Barris Offee. He motioned for some of them to come nearer to him so that they could all see who he was talking to.

On the other end of the line sat Nute Gunray who had been pestered by his own lieutenants to assign himself some time for this meeting. Not only that, but the Republic itself was desperate to end this dilemma, and Palpatine had no intention of making him look bad before the people who had elected him. Outwardly though he showed signs of anticipation and annoyance. But inwardly he was seething about the facts that a Neimoidian would take matters into his own hands and defy the orders of a Sith Lord.

For Palpatine though, this had gone too far. He had only started this as a means to get what he wanted, namely the Chancellorship. Everything that had transpired had been because of his design, and it was all leading to a point. But Gunray had made sure that Naboo was even worse off than it should have been, he had gone too far in Palpatine's mind. The Sith Lord himself had never ordered this, but, for some reason, Gunray thought that he had.

And in a way, it was all leading up to Palpatine's personal goal.

--

Nute Gunray sat on the golden Nubian throne, embedding himself within the chair to make himself more comfortable. His sunken face was saggy and slowly falling into ruin, meaning the past four months had done nothing his persona but make him tired and older. His regal red robes were the customary sign of the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, and he was enjoying the perks that came with it. Upon his head there was a small crown, embedded with a small number of jewels and crystals that shone forth all the more brightly. He was pleased with the way that he looked, much like a king.

Next to him sat the regional governors of the Nubian council. These were the second lot of representatives of this planet in the past four months as he had to execute the last group as they had done nothing but bicker in his presence, and he couldn't accomplish anything with them. These new elected officials though were more susceptive to the reign of government, and were ideally opposed to the thought and ideas of Sio Bibble, whom Gunray had thrown into prison many times. Most of the elected officials though were on Gunray's side though, and they lived off his revenues, living in luscious banquets and buying time for them to live in splendour.

But this was not enough though. For Gunray he had been angered by the constant threat that was supposed to him. He had eliminated almost all resistance to his command, killing all rebels and freedom fighters, but it was what the Sith Lord had told him to do that had him on edge. He was told by his apprentice that he had to starve the people of Naboo into submission, and had to begin executions. Indeed this had started to work, as the people wee more susceptive to his rules, but in the end, he was still feeling wrong about the whole situation.

He had no intention to kill people, or murder them for that fact. Truthfully though, he merely wanted all of this to be over. Why that Zabrak apprentice of Darth Sidious had told him to do these things was beyond him, but he assumed that it was because the Dark Lord wanted a larger distraction before getting into a position of power. Yet he would have thought that the occupation of Naboo, not starving them to death, would have been enough, but yet, it wasn't. He peered to his right and saw Rune Haako staring at him with his sullen grey face. There was no emotion written within there, just a blank face. That did nothing to ease him though through this situation.

He removed his face to stare at the oncoming transmission before him. For a moment there was pahsing, but it soon cleared to reveal the solemn face of Chancellor Palpatine. Indeed he was not going to be happy, but this would make him see otherwise in the end though. The silvery blue image phased for a moment before become a constant strain on transmission generator, and on the eyes. Nute nodded his head and watched as the Chancellor moved in a shifty way.

Nute smiled at this and spoke out at the older man. "I welcome your advice in this predicament, Lord Chancellor. I pray that a solution will be resolved within time to end this pointless debate here..."

"As do I Viceroy," the Chancellors voice was thin and raspy. He seemed ill at ease with having to talk with a piece of slime like Gunray, who was not only the head of the Trade Federation, but also the commander of the invasion forces. "I hope that soon our situation, within Naboo, and the Trade Tariffs will be soon at an end."

Nute nodded in silence, followed by careful glances to all of those around him. The Nubian governors seemed pleased with the way that he was handling things now, and remained quiet. Usually they would offer advice to the Viceroy, but for now they remained impassive.

"How may I be of service to you, my lord?" Gunray asked in a sly tone, aware that the Chancellor was about to speak, cutting him off.

The Chancellor continued in a slow, but meaningful voice. "I am here to discuss the resignation of your forces from the planet Naboo, and allow her Queen to return back to her planet."

"She may return at anytime your highness," Gunray sighed in a silent voice. "Her people miss her sorely, but with her cooperation, maybe everything will be resolved sooner than you think."

"I will not cooperate…" there was a sound heard from the side of the hologram. Nute knew it to be the Queen, but he cared little for what she thought. If she had only signed the treaty in the first place, without the meddling Jedi, then all of this would have been avoided. The Viceroy saw the Chancellor lean back and face the Queen, or so he thought that was happening, but he couldn't be too sure.

He returned to face the Viceroy in a matter of minutes after discussing something with her. "What will it take for you to be off Naboo?"

Nute smiled in a sly way, aware that the Chancellor, especially Palpatine, was baiting him to make a mistake, and say something rash full. In fact, he was sure what the answer was going to be.

"I want the taxation on the Free Trade Zones taken off," he paused to realign his words. "And I want several concessions about the Federations taxes be lifted."

"I will not defer to this motion, Viceroy," the Chancellor swore. "The taxation of Free Trade Zones was imposed upon you because of your aggressiveness with trade in other regions of the Republic. They were granted by me, and will remain in effect so long as this debacle lasts." He paused for a moment before continuing. "But I will give you one last chance, and that is if you surrender yourself to me, and leave Naboo, I may grant what you wish."

Nute smiled. He was not stupid. He knew that it would be a trap, and he was not going to take it. "You would no sooner have me, than you would lift the barriers off the trading zones. I will remain at Naboo until the taxation of my Trade routes is lifted, and until then, your people will starve."

Palpatine screwed up his face in disgust. "Beware Viceroy," he cautioned. "I have no patience for people who will not make deal such as they are being offered. It will either be your life for Naboo, or your death for Naboo."

"Are you threatening me, my lord?"

"Indeed."

"The I will have to make sure that the people of Naboo feel your appreciation of me." He paused and smiled thinly. "As I believe that both you and Amidala there have love of your home planet that they will not want to see the people be exterminated."

Palpatine's face became grave. He almost turned as white as a sheet. "You wouldn't dare kill people in that way…"

"Indeed I would Chancellor," he smiled again, licking his lips in anticipation. "And I would start with your family, and Amidala's family, and perhaps even your beloved governor, Sio Bibble. After all, they are of no use to me."

"You are bordering on treason and war crimes sir," Palpatine bellowed in a loud way. "I and the Republic will not stand for this. You are bringing a heavy weight upon yourself. If you do this there will only be one option and that is your death." He paused again, this time narrowing his eyes. "I warn you, Viceroy, don't do something that you might regret later."

"And you haven't done things that you haven't regretted yet?" the Viceroy returned aware that the Chancellor suddenly stiffened. "I know many of your secrets, _my_ _Lord_, but I didn't think that becoming Chancellor was one of you ambitions. Neither did I think that you would dare to hide your identity from the world, until the end. You are a failure, and a weak opponent. If one thing is sent against me, I will destroy Theed City, and will lay waste to the countryside around me. There will be massive loss of life, and it will be because of your incompetence." This time he paused for a moment, taking in a few deep breathes before continuing. He noted the continuing stiffening on the Chancellors face. "Now, listen to me, _my lord_, I want the trade taxes lifted, if that is done, then I will leave Naboo. Until such time, your people will continue to suffer, die and lose hope in rescue. Until such time as my demands are met, I want nothing else from you. Gunray out."

With that the telecommunications phased out, and the representatives within Palatine's office had noting but blank stares on their faces. They were in shock. Usually the Federation types were cowards, but now, Gunray was calculating and full of mischief. Something else had to be behind it, but what it was they didn't know.

Palpatine turned suddenly to face the delegates next to him. His face was at a loss. Amidala turned and faced him, and stared into his face. She appeared to be lost, and full of emotion that was almost unreadable. She shook her head in a disbelieving way.

"Will someone please tell me what has just happened?" she asked in a lost and confused way.

* * *

Obi-wan Kenobi stalked down the halls of the Jedi Temple, his apprentice was following at a slow rate behind him. As usual Obi-wan stopped and waited, and peered behind him to wait for his apprentice to catch up with him. He stood with a bemused smile on his face, it was not exactly the boys fault, it was, but then, he did have it coming. The elder Jedi was getting frustrated with what was happening, and he was always late to certain meetings, mainly due to his apprentice.

"Alkar," the Jedi master called down the halls, earning a quick glance from some passers by. He was still ill at ease with the fact that he had an apprentice now, and thought him unnecessary. Then again, he did think how much Qui-gon must have put up with him, and remembered that he was probably a nuisance anyway as well.

He called out once more upon seeing his apprentice appear before him. "Alkar Palatine," he stormed in against his apprentice. "You are late once more, and you have made us drag behind. We must now pick up the pace if we are to be at the meeting on time."

Alkar came to a stop as Obi-wan finished his small tute. He stared at the face of his master, puffing as much as he could. He was smaller than the other padawans, and younger as well. He was not as heavily built or tall, but he did make most of it up with speed and agility, except when it came to being on time. He nodded slowly to his masters pointed gaze, and stared agilely at the thick sprouting beard.

He beamed into a huge smile all of a sudden. "I am sorry I am late, my master," he began, stating carefully. "It will not happen again."

Obi-wan's eyebrows lifted suddenly as if he was a little bemused by his apprentice's explanation. He had heard them all before from him. "Explain yourself young one. You seem to be late every time that we are to be meeting the Council somewhere, or even when it is one of the Council members. It is inappropriate for us to do so."

"I still have much to learn, my master." he replied in a teasing way.

Obi-wan was not amused at all. He was tired of it. "That you do, young one," he sternly proposed before him. "I am glad that patience is one of the virtues of the Jedi, or else I would have tired of you long ago. You must shape up and be at meetings on time, or else we shall never ever be chosen for such assignments that you so dearly want."

"I feel pleased that you consider me as a drawback." Alkar solemnly replied. Obi-wan relented suddenly, lowering his head. The young man always did this to him. it was his way of making people suck up to him, regardless.

"Now padawan…" Obi-wan started, but stopped when he felt a familiar presence come up behind him. He swung around quickly and surprised even himself with the look that was positioned on his face. He came face to face with his old master, and now retired Jedi Master. He narrowed his eyes a little before widening them is surprise.

"Qui-gon Jinn," Obi-wan said in a solemn way. He and his master had never resolved their conflicts from the past months. It had all started when the boy, Anakin Skywalker had arrived, and then Qui-gon had put him in a position before him, just so that he could train him. it was ridiculous really, but Qui-gon had in fact embarrassed him, and hurt him in such a way that it seemed impossible. There was a wound that would never be healed, something that would always remain, and Qui-gon Jinn knew it.

Qui-gon remained sturdy in his position. He had expected more from his old apprentice, but then again, not much more had been really expected. He had hurt Obi-wan all those months ago, and he knew it. It was really only a matter of time before there would be no conversation between them. He nodded in a terse way, and then proceeded to look at Obi-wan apprentice.

"Is this young Alkar?" he asked in a surreptitious way. He smiled for a moment, beaming at both Alkar and Obi-wan. "Is this the same man that has driven my apprentice insane?"

"Ex-apprentice," Obi-wan corrected, in a sharp and stern manner. "You left the order remember."

"I do indeed, my young friend," he paused for a moment, pointed a look at Obi-wan. "I had other matters to attend to, some that I deemed more…"

"Appropriate." Obi-wan said harshly. He would never forgive Qui-gon for what he had done to him, and perhaps, it would remain that way for the best. "Did you really believe that the boy, Anakin Skywalker to be the Chosen One." He saw Qui-gon not at that suggestion. Obi-wan shook his head. "I would never have believed that the great Qui-gon Jinn would ever stoop so low as to follow one of his beliefs, and forsake all that he believed in to follow something that only he believed in what was right."

"I did that all of the time," Qui-gon returned. "Don't you remember?"

"I do," Obi-wan said in a degrading manner. "But I am not here to dwell on the past, only the future. And as you are the past, there is nothing that I believe is important between us in the future. Now if you will excuse me, I have a meeting to be getting to." He turned and gazed at his apprentice, hatred still burning in his eyes. "Come along Alkar."

Alkar nodded quickly, and followed suit. "Yes Master," he replied in a cautious manner.

Qui-gon started for a moment, grabbing hold of Obi-wan's clothing. Obi-wan turned and stared at Qui-gon with a burning hatred. "Wait, Obi-wan, I wish to speak over our relationship…"

"We have no relationship," the Jedi Master replied evenly. "And as far as I am concerned, if we ever did, it was a mistaken one."

Qui-gon would have replied if Obi-wan and his apprentice had not disappeared around the corner. Suddenly, Qui-gon believed that he had no hope of savoring the last of their relationship.

* * *

"This is intolerable," Palpatine roared at the hologram before him. Usually the Federation would have packed up hours ago, and they would have thought it lost. But there was something else that was happening here, and the Chancellor could not quite put his finger on it.

He continued in a placid, but stern tone of voice. "What you are doing is incredibly immoral. There are no grounds for it besides trade and taxes. You need to see that it was made for the good of the Republic, and also for the bettering of the galaxy. There was no need for you to attack my home world just because I suggested the plan."

"But it was necessary though, wasn't it, my lord Chancellor?" the figure of Nute Gunray replied, still holding the crown above his head. He seemed to have a smile on his face, and was almost laughing. "I would have loved to have seen your face when my master or employer told me that I would be doing this."

Palpatine shuddered all of a sudden, fearful for the moment that the Viceroy didn't reveal something that he might regret later. But to add to that, he was getting bolder in his statements. The Chancellor was seething. "And do pray tell who your employer is?"

Gunray cocked his head back and laughed gently, though his tone was full of disillusion and loss, perhaps even insecurity. He fired back quickly, making sure that he had the upper hand. "I believe that you already know him," he stated in a careful way, seeing the Chancellor gawk in confusion. "After all, I do believe that he is in the senate as we speak."

The Chancellors eyes narrowed, and he stared at Gunray with daggers in his eyes. He quickly hid it though and faced Amidala and her delegation who were also stumped by this revelation. There was a Sith Lord in the senate, how controversial would that be. No one but the Jedi would understand that, and even they would be impartial to such claims. But the Chancellor would not be tricked that quickly.

"And you know this how," he calmed himself down and stared at the Neimoidian who stared evenly at him. "might I ask?" Nute remained silent for a moment before answering. But before he could, he was cut off by Palpatine continuing on. "By spreading lies in the senate, you will undoubtedly cause unrest. You have no face within politics anymore. You have committed treason, and you know it. Your lies will amount to nothing, and they will stop now. I am ordering your arrest as a deceiver and traitor to the ideals of the Republic."

"How so?" Gunray replied, his voice was full of concern, but Palpatine picked up that he had been expecting this, as if he wanted this to happen.

Palpatine smiled. "You have unlawfully taken up arms, when you were permitted to do so many years ago, and you have taken control of a planet, after invading it without authorization, and in an illegal process. There have been mass executions and starvation within the Nubian sector. And as it is my home planet, and that of Queen Amidala, I will have to lawfully decree that you be taken away by force."

Nute's face straightened suddenly, and he became aware that he was being boxed in. he didn't want this to happen, it was not what he had signed on to do. "Any action you take will be seen unlawful by the senate, even I know that."

"You are an enemy of the Republic," Palpatine sneered clearly. "You have failed in your attempts to free yourselves from your own burdens. You have committed _treason_. And I _will_ have the senates vote."

The Viceroy screwed his face up suddenly, angered at the rashness of the Chancellor. He was not pleased. "If that is your decision, then so be it," Nute fired back, but not before standing up from the Nubian throne and straightening. He seemed to become taller, and more mighty. Making himself be seen. "The Republic is dying, Chancellor, even you should know that. The end of the era is coming, and soon a new order will rise. I have been ordered by my Committee to establish a beachhead here, and I will do so. If this is what the Republic has been steeped towards, then I pity it. You have begun nothing but a state of war, Chancellor."

"You began it," the Chancellor roared in his defence, quickly. "I had nothing to do with the manipulations of the Trade Federation…"

"Nevertheless," Nute roared, "You began it, and we shall end it. The war that you needed has become reality Chancellor."

The image immediately faded, leaving the Chancellor staring at a wall opposite to him. He was dumbfounded by what had just been said, and he had no clue as to what was actually happening to his once masterful plans.

* * *

Senator Phylus made his way through the empty streets of the Coruscanti underworld. He had no fear of this place as he made his way through, unhindered and unscathed. The night was dark enough so that he blended into the scenery of the streets, dark and dingy, all black and no light. He was perfectly concealed within his dark robes.

He made his way into the dark alley just off to his right, and stood quietly against the wall. For a moment he waited in a silent pose, watching as a number of pedestrians and common people of Coruscant made their way down the street in a large drone. Many of them were obviously drunk; there was no doubt about that as they were making a great noise. Phylus shut himself away from them, enshrouding himself in the darkness. The business he was about to complete would not be necessary unless everything went to plan.

Sighing to himself, he leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes and breathing in. there were some courses doubts if he was going to do the right thing, of course, but that was the way that business was conducted. He knew that he was doing the right thins, and he knew that it was necessary for the preservation of the Republic.

And for his own ideals.

Behind him all of a sudden he felt a presence appear, and turning swiftly he came face to face with his coconspirator, the man who would make it all work down to the exact detail. Phylus smiled and nodded, and the man before him did as well. Behind him though another figure clothed in black, and approached him silently so that he was boxed in on either side. It was sleek and silent, and yet deadly at the same time. Phylus smiled once again, pleased with the outcome of the proposed meeting. Nodding silently to himself he approached the first figure, silently speaking.

"Can it be done?" he asked, in a deadly and silent tone.

The other figure merely blinked, and nodded. Holding out his hand he waited for his payment to be given. Phylus reached gently into his coat pocket, and carefully produced a small loin sack. Placing it in the man's hand, he pronounced in a careful manner. "Half now, half on completion."

The face looked at him in shock, and narrowed his eyes into slits. "We agreed to all up front." He said in a sharp manner.

"Plans have changed."

The figure nodded, and stared carefully into the senators eyes. "If that is what is to be, then so be it."

"Then we are understood?" the senator pronounced. "Both the senators and the Chancellor himself are to be eliminated. Are you sure that you are up for the challenge?"

"We will do anything for the preservation of our beloved republic," he stated as he started to jiggle the sack of money in his hands. "and for our beloved employer."

"And who is your employer?" Phylus asked, his eyes widening at such a suggestion of competition.

The figure remained impassive. "You will find out, soon enough." He left the area quickly as to not be discovered leaving the senator alone with his other minion, whom he turned and just stared at. He narrowed his eyes in anticipation and watched at the other figures hands moved to his chest, bringing out a lengthy cylindrical object. Phylus eyed it for a moment, and then saw a reddened beam of light snap out of the cylinder. He stared at fear at his competitor, and merely stalked backwards, with fear, and a frightened pose written in his face.

* * *

Nute Gunray walked silently down the halls of the Nubian Palace, stalking past the vast columns and barely lit hallways. There was no reason for him to be fearful of anything at this time, after all, most of the city had been quelled of uprisings, and the Chancellor would never dare send anything against him. He was secure where he was, and he hoped that he would remain that was as long as his employer would let him live.

He had never asked what, nor where his employer came from, but he did know that there was definitely something dark surrounding him. It didn't really surprise him though that such a thing was happening. Even when he had been introduced to Darth Sidious he knew that there was something dark surrounding him, even if he was not force sensitive, he could still feel the evil emanating from the man.

But this was something different. This Force user was definitely powerful, and was steeped within the darkness, but what was strange was that there seemed to be nothing of the sort emanating from him. And that was what was confusing.

This was the same Dark Lord of the Sith that Sidious had sent against the Jedi to find the Queen and bring her back to Naboo to sign the treaty. But what was strange was that the Sith Lord had somehow changed in time. Nute had heard about all of the failures that had happened to him, he had heard the stories. It was just luck that there were spies everywhere. Supposedly he had been killed three times, and the latter by a ten year old boy. Then, strange enough, he had disappeared.

And to top it all off, apparently Sidious was not happy about it, and he had even mined a new apprentice, creating a new breed of Sith. Nute shivered at the thought, and he felt as if he had been betrayed, or even duped by the Sith.

He made his way silently to the door before him, and waited outside of it. He knew already that the Sith knew that he was waiting there, and that thee was definite confusion radiating from within the Neimoidian himself, but that was the way of things. The Viceroy made one last desperate plea within himself, summoning up all of his strength, and breathed in carefully. He was scared, scared of what the Sith might do to him.

Knocking on the door carefully, he pushed it open and entered. He walked in cautiously, taking it slowly, step by step. He didn't want to disturb the Sith as much as he would have liked too, as he knew that they had a short temper. Then suddenly it clicked. Usually Sith would kill people if they had failed them, and as of this moment, the Sith had not done one thing like that, even though the Neimoidians had failed Sidious that many times.

It made him wonder who it was was the real Sith Lord here, and now. It also made him wonder who I was that was this Sith Lord's employer. Was if Darth Sidious, with all of his cunning and radiating evil, or someone with even more cleverness.

Nute entered into the small part of the room that had all of the curtains drawn. This part of the room was strange, and even for a Zabrak it was stranger. There were sheets and curtains draped all over the room, hanging down from the top or the roof, to the floor. He swallowed once more, and carefully willed himself to enter the dark coloured sheets before him. it was then at that moment that he started, hearing a voice appear around him.

"Did you succeed, Viceroy?" it asked in a silent, but ordering tone.

The Viceroy gulped at that statement, sending shivers down his spine. It made him wonder who it was that he was dealing with. There was nothing but silence for a moment. Again the question was asked, but this time with more of an arrogant tone of voice.

"Did you succeed?"

It was sharper, and sent a reign of terror down his spine. He swallowed again, and then proceeded to speak, his tongue a little tied. "My lord…" he swallowed again, desperate not to fail this man who had been paying him. "It is all going…according…to your will. All that you have wished for has been completed."

There was a stifled silence, but only for a moment. "Excellent." The voice said. "Sidious will be confused within time, and he will feign many attempts to expel us from Naboo."

"Are you expecting him to do so?" Nute asked with a hint of wonder in his voice.

"I know that he will do so." The answer came in a sharp tone of voice.

Gunray remained silent. He knew that this Sith was correct in whatever he would say, and he knew that he would always be right. There was never any doubt. Sith Lords are for the matter of a fact nothing to be trifled with, especially this Sith Lord. Like to him though, Darth Sidious was someone to be feared, just by what he could do, but that Sith, just by looking at him you could feel in fear, and terror. If it was the last thing that you would see on this galaxy, you would hate it to be that face of the Zabrak Sith.

Nute shuddered at that though, if Darth Maul was the last thing that he saw in his life, he would not have a moment's peace in the afterlife. He would be fearful no matter what. He shook his head in silence as he felt assured that everything would be for the better. It was as if he knew that this Sith would look out for him, though there was reason to fear him. In the end though, he would hate to be proven wrong.

There was still only one thought that troubled him. And that was what Maul had told him. At first he didn't believe it; he could barely believe it at all. That the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, was actually Chancellor Palpatine. Of course, he thought, it would explain his rise to power in the senate, and the fact that the Trade Federation and all of its manipulations and troubles in the past ten years were because of him, and his assumptions and presumptions. He was drawn out of his thought all of a sudden by a small voice ringing in his head.

"Viceroy."

Nute looked up and stared at the red and black tattooed face of Darth Maul. Even in physical form he was a thing to be feared, and the horns left nothing to be desired. They added to his persona, able to kill a person with a bare look at them. It was not something to like that easily. He nodded silently, his eyes fearful of what would happen.

"My lord," he gasped, but barely. "What do you wish of me?"

There was silence for a moment before the Dark lord replied. It almost killed the Viceroy, waiting for something inevitable. "The Chancellor will begin his plans almost immediately; therefore I want you to remove part of your forces to your home system, and wreak havoc on the surrounding sectors."

"My lord?" Nute wondered. "What do you hope to achieve?"

There was a shrill sound of laughter coming from behind the curtains. "You will know that within time, Viceroy," Maul said in a silent, but straightforward and deadly tone. "All will be revealed to you in due time."

The sound of laughter echoed through the halls of the palace as Nute Gunray flowed out of the room, into the darkness of the night.

* * *

Please Review.

Spoiler: Palpatine is attacked.


	14. Chapter 14

N.B: Ok, this chapter does get a bit confusing with names, but you should be able to work it out.

* * *

**Chapter 14 – Indiscretions**

The corridors of the Republic Executive Building were almost as large as those within the Senate. They were furnished in almost the exact same way as the senate corridors as well, but they were not as lavish. It was a pure cream colour with great columns that dotted around the inside of the superstructure. Senator Traya marveled at one of the columns for a moment, pausing as if to become marveled at its appearance. The other two senators with him merely sighed and shook their heads, not liking what they saw. They were actually amused by the fact that Traya was amused by such a small thing, and it made him look like as if he had a small mind. He shook his head as well, as if to discontinue his mesmerized state, and then rejoined the other two senators who had made an effort to join him on this night.

It had almost been two days since the Chancellor had cancelled their meeting, and now they were heading back into the same room where they would be discussing the future of the planet of Naboo. Of course, they knew that the Chancellor would most likely cancel the meeting as he had other people to meet, and that once more they would have to reschedule, but, hopefully he wouldn't do such a thing as he was already enraged with the prospect of open war with the Trade Federation. Hopefully, though, the Chancellor would see it their way, and that he would enact their plan to rescue Naboo from this tyranny, and reinstate Queen Amidala to the rightful place on the Nubian Throne.

It was a risk, but they knew that it had to work, and Palpatine would have to be easily swayed by them, and Traya had a feeling that he would be.

The senator sighed once more and sharply turned the corner which would make them enter the Chancellor's office. Beside him both of the other senators did the same, and vied their way into the small hallway, each hoping to be the first to enter the office. Although for their common agreement, it was known that there was a common rivalry between them. And it was, for the moment, well hidden from each other, and placed aside so that they would actually focus on the one thing that would benefit them the most.

As they neared closer to the door, Jovial turned and faced the other senators, and stared at them in the face. "Are you sure that he will accept this time?" his tone was harsh, and detestable at the Chancellor's actions.

Trialus and Traya merely stared at him for a moment before passing a look between them. They nodded in succession before the former senator answered in directness. "I believe that he will," he commenced, knowing that Chancellor's would have to answer yes. "And I think that he will find it in his best interests to put this forward."

"But are you sure?" he asked again, his voice even harsher. He knew that there was something that the senators were not telling them.

Traya merely stared at him for a moment whilst Trialus stared at the Chancellor's door. They remained silent, contemplating an answer. When no answer came they returned to face the door, and contemplated who should enter first. They were all nervous, but it had to be done. The Chancellor was known for his quick outbursts. Tray nodded to himself and came forward, and prepared to nock on the door. As he was about to do so though he could hear yelling from the inside.

As he proceeded to listen, the other senators became intrigued as well and made their way to the door. As they all put their ears to it though it opened up, revealing the inside of the chambers of the Chancellor. At first they were confused as to why it opened as they put their ears to it, and passed it off as a small coincidence. Quickly pushing the thoughts aside, they became immersed with the sound of the Chancellor's voice. He was definitely angered by something, and it was obviously something that had to do with the situation on Naboo.

* * *

Chancellor Palpatine was beyond angry. He was beyond the point of no return. His discussions with Gunray had gone beyond a joke, and had gone far beyond than he had wanted them to go in the first place. All that he had ever wanted was for his ascension into the Chancellorship to go unhindered besides a few minor setbacks, and besides this though; it had become a major thorn in his side ever since he had been placed in the office of the Chancellorship.

The Chancellor was now seething, and the rage was filling his bloodstream. His fists were clenched up so hard that they were almost purely white. Above all though, his face was screwed up so much that he looked like he was about to snap. Taking in a deep breathe though he calmed himself down and then spoke in a harsh, but gentle way. It was yet more of a demand though.

"I will ask you once more, Viceroy," he demanded, though toned down. "Will you have peace, or war?!"

The Viceroy seemed a bit taken aback by what the Chancellor had just said. He didn't for a bit believe that the man would actually go that far. The hologram of the Neimoidian figure lowered his head into a downtrodden glance, and then shook his head, breathing in slightly. He was so unsure of himself at this moment that the Chancellor repeated his ultimatum once more; though this time he was more angered.

"Will it be peace, or war Viceroy?" his voice had become louder, and as the three senators entered the room they heard the voice echo behind them and flow through the chamber and into the corridor.

Gunray merely hung his head, and then proceeded to lift it carefully. He had a sullen look on his face, and was determined not to let himself be drawn into the trap. But Darth Sidious' apprentice himself had told him that he needed to keep the occupation of Naboo as the main focus of the Republic while he built up support for the oncoming resistance. He nodded tersely to himself for a moment, and then proceeded to stare at the Chancellor, eye to eye.

The Chancellor though narrowed his eyes. "You have gone too far this time. The senate will not accept what you have done, and you have declared that the Republic is corrupt within itself. Therefore you have declared yourself an enemy of the state, and you will be placed on trial for you abusiveness. I will be sure to not let anymore systems break away from what has happened here. You have a choice before you, Viceroy, what will it be?"

The Neimoidian merely smiled for a moment, and then stared at the Chancellor. He showed his teeth in a quick glance and then began laughing. This perplexed the Chancellor somewhat as he widened his eyes in disbelief. He couldn't believe what was happening. The Neimoidian had somehow become more arrogant and daring. Usually that race was more cooperative and cowardly than usual.

The Viceroy stopped laughing and then stared at the older man. He smiled though and narrowed his eyes. "If you want Naboo," he began, but slowly started. "Come and get it."

The Chancellor stared in disbelief at the alien, and began to grit his teeth. "If that is your answer, then so be It." he slammed his hand down hard on the console before him, and watched in silence as the holo disappeared. He remained silent for a moment, and then stared to his left, and looked at the three senators standing in the hallway. Smiling gently, he waved them in.

While the Chancellor met with the three representatives on the inside of his chambers, there was something completely different going on outside.

* * *

On the roof of the Republic Executive Building there were two figures waiting for the command to engage the Chancellor. They were standing amid all of the grace and beauty of the city which still gleamed in the sunlight. Although they had imposed a strong Force-aura around themselves, they could be seen by the Force sensitives, mainly the Jedi, and perhaps even Qui-gon and Count Dooku, but it was lucky for them that they were actually off planet.

But it was here and now that they posed a greater threat. They had been hired to kill the Chancellor, or even wound him. But then again, perhaps 'hired' was not the best word to use, as they would have been tasked to do this by their master, and all they had to do at first was kill one of the more aspiring of the senators to be able to do it. Indeed, they had killed the man that they had met the night before, Senator Phylus Traya was nothing more than a memory to these certain individuals, and they were more or less, the best of the best.

The human male smiled for a moment, catching the eye of his Zabrak friend and in doing so they both smiled in turn. What was actually more surprising was that they had remained in their places for more than a few minutes now, and they had not even been spotted or sensed. And the fact that they were wearing black was something that made them stick out, especially on the whitened surface of the Executive Building. It was actually surprising at all that they could stand on top of it due to its domed structure.

The male breathed in, sighing to himself, and next to him the Zabrak's smile sidened even more. "Are you sure that you are ready, my young friend?" he asked the human in a pointed way. "There is no way out of this in the end; it must be done for us to succeed."

"I know," the human replied in a stern, yet calm way. "And I also know that there is no other thing that we can possibly do, after all it is for the good of the Empire in the end."

"Indeed it is," the Zabrak continued. "But only you have seen the effects that Palpatine had bestowed upon the future, and you know that he was ruining it from within."

The male looked at the light in the sky above him, and saw it dim slightly, and then stared at the west and saw the sun go down. They remained silent as he watched Coruscant's sun disappear, sending its last gleams off the many buildings. Behind him he could feel the darkness encroaching even further, and knew that it was almost his time to strike.

"Soon it will be over," he pronounced carefully. "And the Empire will be in capable hands, and we shall rule together, under the command of Lord Revan. We shall be all powerful, and there will be nothing to stop us."

The male smiled for a moment, and stared from the Zabrak to the sky above him, which had darkened severely into an almost night shade. "This is the end of him now, my friend."

They both nodded to each other subtly, understanding what they had to do now was in the best interests of the Sith.

* * *

Jedi Knight Obi-wan Kenobi walked with his apprentice up through the halls of the Executive Building. Like everyone else here on this night, they were all here with a purpose, and it was just that Obi-wan's was that he was to see the Chancellor about an important mission that he had requested for him specifically. He didn't know why though that the Chancellor had requested him, but he knew that there was something different about the Chancellors request.

Firstly, Jedi were usually assigned missions by the Council who in turn got them missions from the Senate and its officials. Secondly, it was even stranger that the Chancellor had asked him to come, as Obi-wan was not that well known within the Senate and the legislative regions of the government. But besides this though, Obi-wan had not expected the Chancellor to just ask him directly, and not through the Council itself. It was why he had to see the Council itself earlier, and they had just told him that he should be on his guard, and that they would look into it.

Besides all that had been happening though, Obi-wan had still felt as if he had a guilty conscience about being angry at his old master, Qui-gon. He still loved his master for all that he had taught him, but was still hurt mainly because he had shunned him ere the end of their tenure together, and especially with the boy.

But the boy was gone now, and to that effect, Qui-gon was as well. He had no need of him anymore, and was pleased with the fact that he was out of his life. All he hoped now though was that he would not see him here, as that would make him deter himself from what he was doing here. Most likely he would become aggravated and light hearted with seeing the Chancellor. But it didn't matter anyway, as he was already light hearted about seeing the Chancellor anyway.

He turned his head suddenly and saw that Alkar was making his way slowly up the chambers behind him. He shook his head lightly. He was always angered that his apprentice didn't know how to catch up with him.

"Hurry up," he called back to him, making his apprentice double his pace. It might have been his first visit to the Executive Building, but that was nothing to be fascinated about as he had not seen the Senate yet.

Suddenly something in Obi-wan's mind twitched, as if there was something wrong with what was happening at that very moment. He had the feeling as if there was some impending danger. He stopped, absorbing the ripples that flowed around him. It was a warning, but what it was he could not yet tell. But it was definite that it had something to do with him, or the Chancellor.

* * *

The senators were a bit beyond shocked at the moment. They hadn't expected that the Chancellor would even go that far with the Viceroy. They had been pushing him of course, but they hadn't expected it as such. But it was obvious now that he had had enough of his planet being tortured and almost wiped out by the Trade Federation. Indeed they were actually pleased with the Chancellors attitude with the Viceroy, and now he would, for sure, implement their strategy against the Federation.

Trialus had been in deep thought when the Chancellor had invited him to speak. He was actually hopeful that this plan would help him advance his career, and make him in bed, or get closer to the Chancellor and become one of his closest allies. Unlike the others who had come with him, they had no interest in advancing their careers as such, but it would be good for Trialus if he was able to.

"Speak senator," Palpatine spoke loudly, breaking the senator from his trance. "I must know what you believe the best course of action should be."

Decius smiled all of a sudden, and bowed his head in a small manner. He was pleased that the Chancellor was taking an interest. Now would be his place to shine forth. "I believe, my lord," he stated firmly. "That the Federation has enough troops to make an effective resistance of the planet. So what my plan suggests is that we attack the droid controlled ships first, and then send in our landing troops to tie up any of our entanglements that may have survived. We can then bring in the food and other supplies desperately needed by your people."

"That is one plan," the Chancellor summarized, "but what is the other?"

Decius turned to his partner, Phylus, and stared at him. "Simple, my lord. What we hope to achieve is an orbital bombardment of the main base, thereby killing the Viceroy. What we then will do is engage our fleet against the Federation fleet, annihilating it in the process…"

"We never had any such plans for that proposition." Decius interrupted him for a moment, silencing the other senator. Palpatine merely raised his eyebrows. "We never planned that type of operation."

"I know," Phylus returned, nodding silently to himself. In his head he sent a small warning to himself, as he knew that he was in trouble and would need help. "But we have now."

* * *

_On the roof…_

The Force flashed around them quickly, and they both lifted their heads and received the order. They stared at each other for a moment before nodding. Standing up the two of them jumped to the floor below them, where they would come in for a swift and easy kill.

* * *

"You are a disgrace sir if you think that you can do this to the Chancellors planet…"

Even as he said that the glass behind the Chancellors desk broke. He was pushed forward and fell over the desk. Before him though the three senators fell back, covering their eyes. They yelled in surprise and fear, fearful that it was an explosion of some type.

After all of the glass had fallen to the ground, and the wind whistled through the open window and into the room. It took them a moment, but they all raised themselves and stared at the window where there stood two dark figures clothed in black. Palpatine reassured himself, and stood up and stared at the men. In a complacent mood he narrowed his eyes at them.

"May I help you?" he asked in a non-serious manner.

The two figure didn't reply, although, within seconds, they had released dull red blades from their hands, and had begun their advance.

Well, that was easier than I first thought.

* * *

**Please Review**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – Revealed**

In a burst of incredible speed, even quicker than the Chancellor could fathom, the two Dark Lords of the Sith entered the room and advanced upon the four men. Within seconds the Chancellor had called his armed guards into the room, and as they entered, the two men went immediately for them, taking them out one by one.

The guards fired their small weapons high into the air as the two dark figures jumped around, dispatching the guards. The man, with all of his fast skill had literally gone through three of the men, slicing them in half. But the Zabrak though was cunningly skilled with the blade that he had, and sliced through the men with ease and precision, and when he had gone through them all, he made his way against the men sitting before him.

The man kept on going though, and struck at the remaining guards whilst the Zabrak disengaged his saber and faced the four men. Lifting his hand to his cowl, he slowly took it off and dropped his cloak. Palpatine almost screamed out loud as he saw the red and black tattooed face of his once apprentice, Darth Maul. Maul merely smiled at the shock registering on his face, and he placed his saber before him, horizontally igniting both ends, and spun as he advanced.

Darth Maul approached, and within seconds he had taken out Jovial. The senator had screamed like a dying man. Even as he had tried to run away, Darth Maul had pointed his saber through his chest, and then sliced his way through the body. In a last sentimental act he pushed it out of the window, making the body fall down below into the streets of the city. He turned and faced his old master, who in the shock of seeing him, had forgotten that he had his own lightsaber.

Palpatine cocked his own hand, flashing in a silver light. Maul and the other stared at it and saw that there was a lightsaber in his hands. The shock on the senators face entered and vanished quickly as they stared at each other. Palpatine smiled sickly and ignited it, bringing it up and illuminating his face is red light. Its red glow illuminated his evil smile.

"It's _treason_, then." He aimed at his former apprentice.

Maul smiled in a sickening way as well, and watched carefully and Palpatine vaulted over the fallen chairs and tables to come straight at Maul. He held his saber at the ready, and just as he was about to strike at him a powerful Force push vaulted him away from his attacking force. He fell to the ground, and his saber fell from his grasp. Shaking himself immediately, he stared at what had attacked him and his eyes fell into shock.

Why had he not seen it before?

Before him now the two remaining senators smiled, their faces becoming severe. Beside them, Darth Maul had his saber primed and readied. But the senators though, like the Chancellor, cocked their hands in exactly the same way, revealing two small silver and black objects in their hands. They both nodded and ignited their sabers, and guarding themselves. Palpatine smiled in a sickening way. He had trained Maul, so he knew how to beat him, and the others seemed weaker than he was.

But it was before him now that he noticed something different about senator Phylus, and saw that his features seemed to change almost at will. He studied him for a moment and saw the skin peeling off of him, and falling to the ground in a melted way. The skin stuck to the ground, and when the Dark Lord stared at the face again, he saw a youthful face staring at him, with dark eyes and short brown hair. He smiled and caught Palpatine's attention.

"This is the end of you, Chancellor," he motioned forward, the other two following in his step. Palpatine seemed to regard his attackers for a moment. He stared at all of their eyes and made contact with them. But as he came to the uncovered mans eyes, something happened, something flashed in the eyes of the uncovered man, and immediately he turned and struck the man behind him, ramming his saber through his chest.

This seemed to surprise Palpatine as much as it did the man who had been stabbed. There was a look of shock registered in his face. Palpatine had much fear in his eyes now, and what he saw next surprised him even more. On the other side of the dying man, Darth Maul came forward, and inserted his saber through his body, next to the other one. They seemed to be working together in this engagement, and as the dying man knelt down, a look of disbelief in his eyes, he rolled over. The men then both took their sabers out, and then without even thinking, Maul swung and swiftly turned, felling the head of the now dead Senator Decius Trailus.

Palpatine watched as the body fell to the ground, with a small puddle of blood elevating out of it. He shook his head wildly and watched as the other two men disengaged their lightsabers and stood and watched Palpatine. He gazed in wonder and wanted to know what they were doing. Standing up he called his lightsaber to his hands, igniting it and placing it in an attack position. To his surprise though the other two backed away, and fell to the sides of the room. He noticed them go and failed to notice that the third combatant was staring at him.

When he finally noticed though, he came forward and met the Chancellors gaze. The man lifted his head, and slowly took off of his cloak and revealed his face. It was young and youthful, full of anticipation and eagerness for action. Palpatine studied him carefully and noted that there was some resemblance to the young boy that he had met on the landing platform almost four months.

'_It is impossible for him to be that boy,'_ Palpatine thought to himself, almost im a mesmerized way. _'I can't be. But them again,'_ He then turned and faced his old apprentice and noted how he stared at him also. _'stranger things have happened.'_

He faced the boy again as he heard him laugh. Obviously he had read Palpatine's thoughts and knew what was being said in his head. The Sith Lord stiffened, and braced himself for the coming inevitable conflict. The man kept laughing though, and stopped as soon as he felt the Sith Lord's more wondrous thoughts of being a Sith Master.

"No, Sidious," he inserted quickly, in his low and deep voice. He earned a quick glance from Palpatine who wondered how he knew his name. He seethed in anticipation. "You have failed as a Sith Master. You have become the very thing that you didn't want to become. The Sith need an Empire, not the Republic."

Palpatine shook his head. "I am destroying the Republic from the inside, surely you can see that. Why don't we join together and create the New Order in our own image."

All three of his opponents laughed at his suddenly, making Palpatine more incensed.

"Sorry, Lord Sidious," the younger man said as he came forward. He stepped lightly over the corpses of the guards and the dead senators. "But we have our own plans now, and they alone will be more successful than yours. You have failed in what is becoming of a Sith Lord. The Sith are meant to destroy the Republic and the Jedi, but so far you have don neither. You are merely ruining in, and destroying it for our benefit. Where you have failed, we will now succeed."

"The Sith will rule again, but only under _my_ leadership." Sidious incensed himself, becoming aggravated with the self loathing scheme that his opponents were operating against him. He was about to charge against the younger apparent Sith when he heard the other man speak.

"Lord Vader," he began in an earnest voice, as if growing tired of what he was insinuating. "Finish him off already. The time of our coming is nigh. He is of no longer use to us. I suggest that you deal with him now."

Palpatine stared back at the man who was named Vader, and saw him nod in the direction of who he supposed was his master. Sidious smiled suddenly, and saw what was coming. Vader stared back at Palpatine again, and narrowed his eyes. He approached him slowly at first, but quickened as he came nearer.

"I will not let you ruin my life again, Palpatine." Vader pronounced as he pounced on the Sith Lord before him, connecting his blade with his opponents in a brilliant flash of light.

Sidious struggled to hold on, but held firm as he waited for the oncoming attacks.

* * *

The Force jolted once more, and sprang into Obi-wan Kenobi's mind. His mind began to race forward, and faster than it had ever before. He had never felt this much power, it was almost intoxicating. The Jedi Knight nearly collapsed on the ground as he felt the power emanating from above him.

Searching through the Force he tried to focus in on the Force powers that were emanating from the Chancellors office above him. He narrowed his eyes in anticipation, and flow through, delving deeper and deeper into the recesses of his mind, and connecting with the Force. The Force then swung n pain, as if the Chancellor was in serious, being contained by a powerful Force entity. Obi-wan searched, and found three Force powers within the room, slowly fighting and barrowing down a fourth.

Obi-wan was confused, as he only felt three presences that were together against the Fourth. And all of them were well immersed within the Dark Side. It clouded over them, immersed within them, it was apart of them, and gave them strength. Yet the fourth power was much alike to the other three, as it was dark and utterly fearful. Its power was overshadowed by the other three.

The Jedi Knight nodded to himself. He knew the Chancellor was in trouble, and although he could not find him, it was still his duty to save all that he could of the remains, and hopefully aid in the fight. He stared back at his apprentice, and nodded to him. The Jedi Master had somehow known that his apprentice had felt the power, and he knew that he would be eager to test the skills that he had already learnt.

Following his masters example, Alkar got out his lightsaber, and placed it in his hands. He would be ready for anything now. He was confident that he was ready, and would fight to the end. The enemy didn't scare him. Alkar would show them what a Jedi was. He would make his master proud.

* * *

The attack was stronger than Palpatine had originally expected it to be. He was thrown back against the wall, struggling to gain an advantage against the Sith Lord before him. He had to catch his breath for a moment. Every strike that had been planted against him had been a killing blow. It had been intended that he die quickly and easily, but he was sure that they hadn't expected him to put up this much resistance. He was stronger than they had given him credit for.

He struck back at the apparent Sith Lord before him, striking at his bowels. But Vader had blocked it, and as they made their way to the rear of the office, near the window, his fighting style changed, and was unlike any they had previously used. Sidious could feel Vader's skill growing as they clashed against each other. They had both doubled their speed making it hard to fathom where they were. Instantly, Vader began to strike elsewhere, and used his hand to push his attacker away from him. Palpatine fell to the floor, but jumped back up as the saber began to cut through the carpet. He bought his blade up to block Vader's attempts at hitting him. Vader noted approvingly the speed of Sidious' comeback.

Vader retreated one step, and the thoughts of his training came back into his head when he used to be Anakin many years before, even before he had become Vader. '_Be the attacker, not the defender, and you have a much better chance of being the one alive at the end_'.

Vader nodded to himself, and struck hard at the Sith Master, knocking him back against the Chancellor's desk. Sidious cried out in pain as he fell against the corner of the desk. But it only fueled his anger, making him use his legs to push Vader off of him. He stared at his opponent for a second, and then vaulted over the desk at him. He was angered, and in pain, and as he clashed his saber at Vader's guard, he became blinded with rage. Yelling and crying out in rage he clashed once more with the younger man, and then dragged his saber down upon the younger mans right arm, severing it.

Immediately Vader cried out in pain, and fell to the ground. Sidious cried out in triumph and pointed his saber at the younger man. He smiled in a seething way, thinking that he had won. He stared at the other two opponents, and yet held his saber at the man's neck. The others didn't seem to move, or even notice that Vader needed help. They just studied him, and watched him carefully.

"I will kill him," Sidious pronounced carefully making sure that they got the message. But they seemed disinterested in what he had to say.

Yet the response he wanted came from somewhere else. Sidious stared down, beyond his saber at the younger man. He nodded in disgust. "You are alone in this it appears, my friend." He breathed in lightly, concerning himself with the power in his veins. "It appears that you will meet your destiny sooner than you originally thought."

The younger man immediately smiled, and began to laugh. Sidious narrowed his eyes in confusion, seething that he was being mocked. "Not if I have anything to say about it," Vader declared in a high pitched, yet low voice.

Sidious shook his head in disgust. Then suddenly something grabbed his attention, and he threw his head around carefully. He heard the lift open down the hall, and could sense people running into his office. Searching at them quickly, he could sense the presence of Obi-wan and his apprentice. Sidious smiled and thought to get this over quickly. Immediately he turned and faced the younger man and what he saw shocked him.

Vader was busy sticking his arm back on, as if it needed to be only reattached. He widened his eyes in surprise and almost the shock of what he was seeing. He shook his head, and threw a look at his enemy.

"Even if you can do that," he seethed through his grinding teeth, "I will still defeat you. You will die soon enough."

"Sooner than you think," Vader added in as he raised his gloved hand.

Sidious had not anticipated it during the fight, and was thrown across the office, splattering himself on one of the far chairs. His saber flew out of his hands and fell across the room. Within seconds Vader had leaped up and flew across the room, ignited his saber and struck hard at the Sith Lord.

Palpatine cried out in pain. It was painful, more so than anything else that he had felt before. He had never lost one of his limbs, but his left arm was his favoured arm. His right hand clutched the remains of his arm, and as he stared at his disfigured body, he screamed loudly once more. He almost immediately began to feel disorientated and almost fought to keep awake. It seemed that all of his anger and pain were not strengthening him as they would a normal Sith. All of the hate was meaningless. It meant nothing to him, as it did nothing. But it was then that he felt himself being raised into the air.

Opening his eyes, but barely, and screaming in pain, he stared into Vader's eyes, and then their eyes connected. What he saw there though was a great hate. Something that would outlast even him. it wound down deep within the recesses of his mind, overwhelming all of his functions. And to think of it, Sidious didn't even know what he had done to this man.

Almost in answer, Vader replied in an even manner. "You ruined my life," the man pronounced carefully, placing a great fist into his gut, making the Sith Lord fall to the ground. He began to yell out in pain now. "You took everything away from me; my wife, my children, and then, eventually, my life. You betrayed me! You ensnared me into doing you bidding, and I hate you for it."

"When," Sidious began, coughing up some blood. "When—when did I do all of this? How did I do all of this to you?"

Vader took in a deep breathe and picked up the skulking body of the Sith Lord before him. He could feel the satisfaction emanating from within his body, knowing that finally he would get the revenge that he sought after for so long. He made Sidious face him, staring at his face almost directly, and Vader stared back. Yet within an instant Vader landed another punch against him, slamming it against his face and making him fall back. He hit the ground hard.

Vader smiled. "You have not done it to me yet," he sneered in satisfaction. "But neither will you do it again. I have lived through all of my life as a slave to your will, but now, no more. You will die at the hands of your own creation, and you will never forget it for as long as your spirit dwells in Chaos."

"Please—please, no more," Sidious called to him, begging for his life.

The Dark lord sneered as he saw what was going on below. Sidious was begging for his life. Never had he expected to see that in his lifetime. But then again, although it was satisfactory, he didn't want to hear it anymore. Bringing his hand forward, over the Sith Masters body, he called forth all of his strength to enact a punishment. Immediately bluish-white lightning streaked forth from his hand, wrapping itself around the Sith Master, making him scream in agony.

Vader seared forth, gritting his teeth as he enacted the punishment. He would kill him like this if he had to, but he would destroy his spirit first. The Sith Lord screamed in agony, but almost delightfully, as the electricity continued to pour off Vader's hands. He stopped almost immediately, letting Sidious enjoy a breather, and himself some satisfaction.

"Old fool," Vader seethed forth, calling his lightsaber to his hands and igniting it. The dull red blade shone forth as the screaming dies down. "Only now, at the end, do you understand the truth of what I am."

"What are you?" Sidious gleamed, in a wondering tone.

Vader smiled for the last time. "I am more powerful than any Jedi. I am stronger than any Sith Lord. I am immersed within the Force, and am all powerful. I am the new beginning," he halted for a moment, enjoying his self confidence. His voice became more serious. "And I am the end of you."

Spinning his saber within his hands, he pointed in a vertical axis with the point of the saber pointing down towards the lying body of the Sith Lord. He raised it high into the air, his face gleaming with all satisfaction, and knowing that he was doing the right thing. Vader threw it down hard, and Sidious screamed, knowing that he was going to die. He closed his eyes tight and waited for the inevitable end. He then heard a screeching of lightsabers against each other.

After a moment he opened his eyes again and stared above him to where Vader's saber had just stopped. It was at that moment that he saw a blue saber blocking the red one. He turned his head to the left and saw that his savior had arrived; it was now that he had never expected a Jedi. They were more than welcome now than ever.

Vader eyed the Jedi for a moment, and seethed with anger and disappointment. He was enraged that the Jedi had been so bold. Yet as he stared he could discern the face and features of Obi-wan Kenobi, and could sense the Force signature. Only a one word escaped Vader's mouth.

"Kenobi."

* * *

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	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 – Mission**

"Kenobi."

At his name, Obi-wan Kenobi looked up and stared at the face of his adversary. Vader had a look of utter hatred written into his face. He seemed to be searching the other man, as if studying him, and wanting to know why he was here. The Dark Lord gritted his teeth together and began to cry out in anger earnestly. He hated how the Jedi had intervened in his kill, and he almost had Palpatine where he wanted him. He was almost dead, and then he had to interfere.

But why did he have to interfere? It was not meant to be like this. Usually the Jedi, mainly Kenobi, hated the senator, or was suspicious of him anyway. He never trusted Palpatine in his life. And in the end, he was right.

But now he was saving him. Something was not right at all. Something had changed within the Force. And technically, he should have known about it.

He merely stared intently at Obi-wan. The Jedi Master though stared back at him, as intently, but he could not match the ferocity in Vader's eyes. There was something buried within there, something dark and unattractive. Eventful even. It was stirring, drawing him in closer to the verge of striking out against the Sith Lord. But Obi-wan held his calm, and merely waited.

But Vader though was anxious to fight his old master, and although he hated Palpatine more, Kenobi was the second on his list. He breathed in carefully though, straightening in his pose. He remained in a calm position, not wanting to make the first move. But his eyes though betrayed him, sending him through stages of anger and fear, and the pleasure of the kill. He then knew that he couldn't hold it in any longer.

It then happened. Vader released his saber from Kenobi's grip, and struck hard at him, making the Jedi Master flinch suddenly. The maneuver was blocked though, much to the hatred of the Dark lord. Then Vader sprang into action, moving faster than before, and making Obi-wan fear for himself. The strikes, though perfectly placed, merely deflected off the blocked stance of the Jedi Master. The Vader remembered suddenly, that Obi-wan always dealt with defensive poses. This had always made him frustrated, even when he was Anakin, that Obi-wan had always told him to protect himself before attacking. Thankfully he had never listened to his master, although he had considered him a father.

Yet in the end, like father like son – There was always someone that had to be radical in some way or another.

Vader straightened, and reserved himself further back towards the entrance of the apartment. Both of the combatants circled each other momentarily, studying each other. Kenobi had no idea that Vader was more powerful, being influence by a Force Nexus, and was physically younger and more fit. But the Jedi Master though, although older, was as strong as and as fit as any other regular Jedi, and perhaps even like Anakin was. But in the end, Anakin, or Vader, or whatever he wanted to be called, was the 'Chosen One.'

The Dark Lord narrowed his eyes suddenly, rounding on Obi-wan; he was anticipating the moves of the Jedi. But even before he could comprehend where he would go, attacking at him, the Jedi swiftly came forward. He struck hard making Vader flinch where he stood, and drew up a quick guard to block the attack. Obi-wan didn't stop and quickly moved his weapon in a blur towards Vader's flank, cutting him in a slight manner.

The Dark Lord flinched again, and rounded suddenly, checking him opponent and his stance. He growled as he checked him arm, rubbing it carefully. Staring back at Kenobi, he merely shook his head before he advanced against him. It was a quick maneuver, and the Jedi was not prepared for it. He was forced back by the attack, narrowing himself against the wall of the Chancellor's suite. Vader was able to knock Obi-wan saber away for a moment, Force pushing him out into the corridor, but even as he did so, the saber was called back into the Jedi Knights hand, bringing the fight to a greater standstill.

Altar watched them carefully, taking each strike into account. As they disappeared down the hallway he finally came to his senses and rounded his face and then glanced at the Chancellor. Seeing that he was hurt, though he hoped it wasn't severely, he ran up to him, kneeling besides him. He immediately saw that he was missing an arm.

"Are you alright, my lord?" he asked in a cautious way.

Palpatine merely stared at the youth for a moment regarding him. He was young and naive, and had no place in this world. He was stupid. But yet, he was learning. And still, though, only someone like that would say something like that to a man who had just lost his arm.

Gasping silently, he regarded what he had just said, and carefully placing his arm under the Chancellor's, he proceeded to lift him up and place him on the chair.

* * *

Both Darth Maul and Darth Revan stood firm within the office of the Chancellor. They stood carefully behind the overturned desks and tables, ruined among the chairs and other the paper that was scattered all over the place. They had hidden themselves well among the debris and scattered remains of the office. There was no light, so hiding among the shadows was not as difficult as they had first thought.

There were no words between them, just embittered silence. Both Vader and Sidious had been fighting for well over an hour now, and they had placed themselves as guards or seconds in case Vader fell to the Dark Lord. They actually thought that impossible as Vader was enhanced, besides his own Force potential, with the power of the Dark Side nexus within the remains of the Malachor V Library.

Like Vader though, they each had something against Sidious, and they had each thought of it carefully. Truth be told, Sidious had orchestrated his plans well, and they would have to kill him for them to assume power. But there was something that was bothering them though, and that was that Sidious seemed to be baiting with them. And he was a good actor as he had the ability to hide these things from his enemies.

Truth of this was seen in the fact that Jedi had not actually suspected who he was yet, and that he was a Sith Lord, and the master to Darth Maul, who they also had no idea who he was. It was strange to Revan though that Maul had not entered the fight yet, as his master had tortured him in so many various ways, and yet, he had always remained faithful to him, even in the worst of the situations. In all of his training though, Maul had never once, through all of the abuse and torture from Sidious, ever thought to strike his master down, although he knew he would have to do it someday.

Perhaps there was still a great regard from him, even within his heart.

But Revan though, that was another story. Too long to recount. But anyway, he had first come to Sidious' attention almost forty years ago, back when he was a mere practicing politician. He had even personally known Darth Plagueis, the master of Sidious. Though he didn't really know if Plagueis knew who he was though, but then again, due to a Muun's long lifespan, it was possible.

Sidious though most likely didn't see through the disguise. And he was still sure that he didn't now either. It seemed that, when Revan had first appeared, as a man called Nihilus, almost forty years ago, and had struck up a friendship with Palpatine, they had become the greatest of partners and friends. Also, they had used each other careers to strengthen their bond and to advance their own position. Yet they had slowly drifted apart, and had eventually ceased contact. On the plus side though, Sidious didn't even remember what it was that Nihilus looked like, and Revan would soon use that to his advantage.

Both Maul and Revan could hear the fighting. They had been going at it for a while though, and then suddenly, everything ceased. They had thought it over, but then there would have been a major Force ripple flowing through the air, and they would have felt it. But, strangely enough, there had been nothing. The silence itself had lasted for a small amount of time, and when they had heard the sounds of contact and fighting once more they understood that it was not over.

Near to them now the fighting began to grow intense, and they could hear it coming closer. They were able to peer out carefully into the corridor to see what was happening, although they would rather have minded their own business. But it should have been over by now! They had both thought that, Revan especially as he actually knew how powerful Vader was now. It should have been simple as Vader's power was about no less than ten times more powerful than Palpatine's, but then again, it could have been more than a hundred fold, and that is with the vortex.

But, for some reason, it wasn't over yet. They were still fighting.

They both peered carefully outside, and what they saw there was not what they had actually expected it to be. They could see Vader, and his red saber dancing though the air fighting against a blue-type saber. For a moment shock set in, and they stared at each other intently, and then back to the fight. Oddly they had not felt anyone enter the room, or even the office. For some reason their senses were not working. But their sight was.

They just stared in a stern stare, watching as the two combatants went by through the corridor. For a moment they were stunned, they didn't expect a Jedi, for all they knew he could be, to interrupt their attack on the Chancellor. Maul though narrowed his eyes suddenly, and focused in on the other combatant. The Jedi. He thought carefully, watching as the blue blade swung back and forth. He had seen those moves before, he knew it. It had to be the man that he hated the most. He knew that it was the one Jedi Knight that had stood the firmest against him.

"Kenobi…" he hissed silently.

Revan heard that and turned carefully and stared at the Dark lord. Maul was seething from his point of view. He was holding in his anger, trying not to concern himself with the Jedi as it was Vader's fight. But he had to intervene, he just knew it. He had a score to deal with against the Jedi. Vader had to kill Palpatine, and Maul, he had to kill Obi-wan.

Sending a ripple of anger out, he began to seethe. He yelled loudly, causing the room to rock. Obi-wan had killed him once already, and he had to return the favour. He began to walk out of the room, watched carefully by Revan, who made no move to stop him. Calling his saber to him he stepped out into the corridor and the looked at the combatants. He watched carefully as the Jedi hit Vader hard across the face, sending him sprawling to the ground.

He stared at Vader for a moment, watching as he hit the ground. He fell hard, but was almost laughing. Maul himself smiled as he saw this, and then screwed up his face just as easily. He stared back at Obi-wan, who was staring intently down at Vader. Raising his saber in the air, he was about to strike. Maul though, was not going to let Vader die that easily. He raised one of his gloved hands and stood pointing it at the Jedi.

Obi-wan though was about to strike at the Sith Lord. Raising his saber he began to ram in down hard through the air, breaking it as he swept down, aiming for the Sith Lords chest. But even as he did so, he felt himself be pushed back. He felt himself fly though the air and then hit the wall hard. He was dazed for a moment, but then stared at his attacker. Before him he could see the shape of the Sith Lord, and watched as it took the form of Darth Maul. His screwed up face was quickly replaced with surprise, then shock. He breathed in heavily, and watched as his attacker came closer. Off the dim light he could see the clearly etched face of red and black tattoos. The thorns on his head added to his angered demeanor. The Jedi thought carefully about the figure before him. He had already killed him once, and now he would have to do it again.

Maul stepped over Vader, making sure he did not hit any of his limbs. He had confidence written into his eyes, and his face was etched with experience. Above all of the people he hated the most, Obi-wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight of the Order of the Jedi, was the worst. He stared at the younger man for a moment before standing still. He pointed at the strained man.

"We have unfinished business you and I," he said in his angered and aggressive tone of voice. He squinted his eyes for a moment, narrowing them at the Jedi. Added to that he smiled in a sickening way.

He turned his head swiftly though and stared at his comrade. "Vader," he voiced carefully at him. "Palpatine awaits you. I shall take of this insignificant worm."

Vader nodded at him, and quickly got up, adding a small smile to Maul before he disappeared around the corner. Maul smiled after him, and stood watching at the corridor entrance for a moment. He then turned once more and faced Obi-wan, who had calmed, and stood up to face him. They stared intently at each other. Obi-wan in his cam demeanor, and Maul with his angered stance. Maul fidgeted carefully for a moment, and grabbing his saber which was attached to his belt he ignited it, placing it in a horizontal position. He sneered at the Jedi, revealing his teeth.

Obi-wan though remained calm though, and stared at the Sith. Calling his fallen saber to his hands he ignited it revealing a bright blue blade which appeared. They stood facing each other for a moment before making a move. Maul moved to the side and walked around the room. Obi-wan opposite him did the same until he ended up at the door with Maul across from him at the wall. He nodded to his opponent and to him surprise he bought up his hand, sending Maul into the wall.

Maul hit the wall hard, but stood firm. This only incensed his anger to even more and greater strengths. This made Maul furious and he glidingly began to charge toward Obi-wan, yelling at the top of his voice. He swung as came to Obi-wans position. Obi-wan merely deflected it, swinging it wildly in anticipation against Maul's double bladed weapon. Obi-wan swung hard though, attacking the Dark lord's head. Maul blocked his attack with one side of the saber and with the other side attacked Obi-wan.

Obi-wan faltered for a moment after Maul's saber clashed into the guarded prose of the Jedi. The sheer strength of the Sith Lord exceeded his very worst fears; he was stronger than even himself. And he was in the prime of his lifer, being in his mid-twenties. But he was confident that he would defeat him once more though. He had to; it was his duty to do so.

He became distracted for a moment, bringing himself almost to the near vergence of his death. He only narrowly missed the saber that connected to the wall beside him, forcing him to duck to the ground. He flipped back though, chased by the Dark lord, and as he stood still he swung hard against the red blade, only to have it blocked by Maul's superior strength. Obi-wan was now getting tired of this, and fired back once more.

Maul quickly sensed a sudden surge of raw anger and aggression from Obi-wan. He could feel the Jedi giving into the Dark, and he smiled cunningly, though he knew not why. But it was coupled with a persistent warning from his Force-sense. He had to duck this time, narrowly missing the blue blade by inches. There was another strike though; coupling with Maul's aggressiveness and making him fall down. The Dark Lord had to roll across the ground all of a sudden to avoid being impaled.

A few feet away he resurfaced, and stood staring at the crouched Jedi with an intense and angered stare. He had been close to death just then, seeing the Jedi raise himself and his saber out of the carpeted floor. Maul let himself flow all of a sudden, feeling at emanating anger flourishing from the younger Jedi. He could feel the darkness radiating off of it, yet there was no fear stemming from it, only raw anger and aggression. Maul smiled sickeningly, and fed off of the anger.

He would have stayed there longer if he could to drink the sensation of the anger, but Obi-wan moved again, making Maul move aside. Obi-wan sucked down hard, missing the Dark Lord. He refrained himself suddenly, standing up straight. Bringing his saber back though to a guard position, he watched as Maul ignite his saber once more.

The Sith spun the saber in his hands for a moment, and then spun around lightly, kicking Kenobi with his foot and sending his sprawling to the ground. His then rammed his saber down hard against the Jedi, only to have it blocked against him by the brute strength that he seemed to be applying.

Obi-wan though called back into his anger and pushed the Dark lord away from him. flipping upwards, he bought his saber down upon his enemy, connecting it in bright sparks which illuminated in the room. He paused for a moment, but struggled against the strength of the Sith Lord. Even with his anger in force, he was still not strong enough to defeat him.

Jus then Obi-wan heard a voice in his head. _'Obi-wan,'_ it said loudly, calming down the Jedi Knight. Obi-wan shook his head suddenly, and focused in on the Sith Lord before him.

Once more though the voice rang clear. _'Obi-wan,' _it began to caution him. _'Calm yourself, this anger is unbecoming of a Jedi.'_

Obi-wan seethed, and struck again that the Sith. But it did little to avail him. '_I can't master,' _Obi-wan sent back. _'The Sith is too strong.'_

There was nothing but a blank pause for a moment. Then the reply came in.

'_Sith?' _it started suddenly, he knew it to be Mace Windu. _'What Sith. I thought that you were having an argument with Qui-gon. What do you mean the Sith?'_

Obi-wan started again, growing angry at his mentor's former name. He cringed suddenly and haled as the blade of the Dark Lord came sprawling across his face. He had only just blocked that.

'_Palpatine was attacked by some Sith Lords,' _Obi-wan sent back, hoping that they would understand the situation. _'Or so it seems like they are.'_

'_How do you know that they are Sith?' _he asked suddenly, unaware that they would have been this bold. _'I know that you have fought them a number of times but…'_

'…_Because I know what the Sith are, master,' _Obi-wan sent back in a angered state. _'This is the third time that I have fought this person. He just keeps coming back for more.'_

He broke off suddenly as a surge of pain flustered through him. He watched with painstaking eyes as the red bladed saber ripped through some of his clothing, causing a small scar on his waist. He cringed in pain, but stopped at he deflected another minor attack. He returned the pain quickly though, and cut the Sith Lord across his back as he spun around to meet him.

'_What do you mean?' _Mace suddenly sent through in a worried tone of voice.

Obi-wan sighed. _'This is the same Sith Lord that I fought with Qui-gon on numerous occasions. He just doesn't want to die.'_ He paused for a moment, blocking the Sith Lords blade yet again as it entered through the wall. Obi-wan then took the initiative and attempted to strike at the blades centre, breaking it in half. But even as he did so the Dark Lord ripped his saber out of the wall and swiftly spun and attacked from behind, swinging the blade against the blue saber and then narrowly missing the Jedi's head.

Obi-wan ducked once more. _'Send help Mace,'_ he paused. _'I don't know how much I can hold out for.'_

The connection broke suddenly as Obi-wan felt the Dark lord's fist suddenly meet his face. He came face to face with darkness all of a sudden.

While Obi-wan and Maul were fighting, Vader had made his way back to the main office waiting area. He entered and noticed, with shock, that the Chancellor had disappeared. _'Surely he couldn't have disappeared that quickly?'_ Vader thought to himself all of a sudden_. 'There was no way he could…'_

* * *

He halted all of a sudden, noticing all of the turned chairs and cracked pillars. He surveyed the room with his narrowed eyes. His anticipation was building. When Sidious was his master he had always told him that he had no patience. But then again, he was always aggressive, that was how he had become separated from the Jedi in the first place.

Vader halted what he was doing, and then calmed himself down. Clearing his mind of all thoughts, he tried to sense where the Chancellor was. Even with his powerful Force presence he should still be able to have been felt, even if he was hiding it. He breathed in carefully, and then quickly stared to the right. He saw the adjacent doors before him, and made his way forward.

He go to the door quickly, placing his foot to it and kicking it inward. As the door broke, all of the air rushed in, creating a wind vortex of some kind. All of the paper rustled and flew in the air. For a moment there was nothing, but suddenly he felt an invisible Force grip him, and then thrust him back towards the wall. Vader flew back and hit the wall hard, almost losing consciousness.

His blurry vision took over all of a sudden, and a he faced the doorway he could see a small blue blade protruding from the brown-robed figure. Narrowing his vision, he saw him approach. Vader though moved quickly and watched as the diminutive Jedi attacked him. It partly reminded him of his younger self as a Jedi, attacking first before asking questions. The younger Jedi's blade fell short though all of the time. After only four months of training though, who could have not guessed it would be like this.

Vader though had had enough of this in an instant. He would not play around anymore. He needed to get to Palpatine, even if that meant killing the younger Jedi. Most likely though, it would.

Vader reared himself suddenly, and then dragged out his blade. Revealing a red blade out of the small silver cylindrical object, he marched himself forward, determined to finish off the Sith Master. There could only be one strain of Sith, and his would be it. Only there was a Jedi in the way.

Alkar came in first, and struck at the Sith Lord. Although his skill in the Force was great, he was still too young, and had much to learn. Vader wanted this over quickly. Within seconds though he would prevail. Alkar swung widely for a moment, only to lose his blade on the first strike. Vader did not want this at all; he wanted someone worth the challenge.

The Dark Lord raised his hand, and bought his hands into a small clasp. Alkar backed away all of a sudden, but raised his hands to his throat. Vader would choke him, it was the only way. He could hear the Jedi's throat almost collapsing, and breaking. The Jedi himself collapsed on the ground. The Dark Lord shook his head, and wondered what a waste of some talent this was. Moving forward swiftly though he rammed his saber through Alkar's heart, killing him immediately.

Vader didn't want to waste time though, and swung once more, cleaving the younger mans head off, clear off of his shoulders. He watched silently as the body slumped into silence. Vader watched for a moment, standing still.

'_What a waste,'_ he though solemnly as he entered the room directly before him. There was no room for error on his part.

He smiled in a sickening way as he entered the room. He was on his way to his destiny, a destiny to kill Palpatine.

* * *

Obi-wan suddenly halted in his attack against the Sith Lord. He just stood there as still as could be, making the Sith Lord stiffen for a moment. Usually, or always, during an attack, the Jedi or Sith would never stiffen in its prose. They would continue and fight until their death. That was the way of things. It was kill or be killed.

But Obi-wan though had just stopped.

Maul studied him for a moment, his saber placed at his side and ready to parry the supposed oncoming strike of the Jedi Knight away in an instant. He had been prepared, but wasn't ready for him to stop in mid attack. But he did not go forward and make his move, for he wanted o wait for Obi-wan to make the move first. All he had just seen was Obi-wan come forward and halt in what he was doing, freezing as if the world around him had changed all of a sudden. Indeed it actually had!

Obi-wan felt frozen on the inside, close to being sick. All of the heat and warmness, and the full capacity of his body had just vanished to become cold and empty. There was an empty void all of a sudden. It was like someone had just taken a big part of his life away, and replaced it with nothing. Immediately he knew that something was wrong when his apprentice didn't answer his small calls, and he could feel the connection – and it wasn't there at all. The connection was gone.

That was all that Obi-wan needed. Becoming fearful all of a sudden, he stared at the Sith before him, and breaking off of his attack he sent a quick Force wave against the dark figure, sending him sprawling back on his behind. He quickly turned and ran out of the room, and didn't stop to see if his adversary had gotten back up. Personally he didn't really care. He just ran hard. Harder than he had ever run before. He had to save his apprentice, if that was possible, but if it was not, he had to avenge him.

He turned the corner of the room swiftly, letting the Jedi Code through his head ran to where he had last seen his apprentice. He knew that the Jedi forbid revenge, but he had actually, besides all of his attitudes towards his apprentice, grown close to the boy. And although the Jedi forbid attachments as well, he had grown fond of him, almost like a son. a son that would screw up all of the time, but a loving son nonetheless.

As he turned the last corner he was breathing heavily. He didn't care if the other Sith was following him, all he cared about now was that his apprentice was safe. He grew fearful all of a sudden. Yet he could feel nothing.

He entered the room swiftly and there the shock hit him. He stared blank eyes at his apprentice' body. It was there, lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. Obi-wan came forward and knelt by the body, coming close to tears. The realization hit him quick. He had lost his first apprentice. His first padawan. Alkar was his apprentice, and most likely his only apprentice. He just lay there, or the body lay there actually. It was covered in blood, from the arms down to the chest. Headless and his right arm was sliced off carefully. One thing that was of not as he stared at the body was that it was with ease and precision that Alkar had died. The attack on him was not wasted. Although it was quick and simple, and he would have not posed much of a challenge, it was still a deadly attack, and death.

Swallowing hard, he lifted his head and faced the doorway. He could see the red blade shimmering in the distance, and the figure standing there looking at him. In his right hand he held his saber, baiting Obi-wan to attack him. But in his left he held Alkar's head, dripping from the neck down with blood, and almost dipped with it.

Vader just stood there though, as if enjoying his kill, hoping to get Obi-wan mad, angered once more.

Behind them, and out of sight, Darth Sidious, or Chancellor Palpatine lay down in silence, hiding his Force signature. He was waiting for the opportune moment to attack, and the right time to strike. He stayed silent though, waiting. One thing though, even as he waited, wincing in pain as he clutched his non-existent left arm, he could feel the anger of his attacker, and the fear radiating from Kenobi. He drank it carefully, letting him gather strength from it. But also, he could feel the rising anger from the younger man, letting it boil before him, growing at a slow rate.

Sidious smiled suddenly, understanding that the young man had a hidden anger. He was hopeful that he would defeat the rival Sith, but knew that he wouldn't do so as he could feel the strength of the Sith. It was overbearing, stronger than even himself. His attacker was powerful within the Force. Obi-wan though was strong, but would only put up a fight that would stall the Sith.

There was no way that they could match each other. The Sith would wipe him away easily. But yet, why hadn't he done it to him. Sidious had wondered that. The attacker was stronger than anyone he had ever faced before, but he was merely toying with him, and he seemed to be taking his time in dealing with the Sith Master. But he was sure that he would use his potential against Obi-wan, for there was a certain hatred there that wouldn't die.

He would work it out soon though, what it was that made the Sith attacker so hated, and why he hated Obi-wan more than anyone else above all, even himself. His thoughts were drawn away and interrupted immediately but the sound of a harsh voice.

Vader stared at Obi-wan carefully, narrowing his eyes in anticipation. He could feel the utter defiance flowing off of him, and the radiating raw anger and aggression. There was a power in there that was seldom seen in Jedi. Indeed, even as he thought about it, only those who used the Dark Side, and used anger, turned from the Jedi. Except those like Quinlan Vos and Shaak Tii who saved themselves and returned back to the light.

Vader remembered those people, those Jedi like them, and marveled that they were able to do it. But him, he was stuck within the dark, immersed within it. For him, it was his way of life. He had been born this way, and he knew that he would die this way.

That was the way of things, the way of the Force.

The Dark Lord smiled cunningly as Obi-wan stared at him. Within seconds he threw the apprentices head at Obi-wan, who caught it, and began to stare at it stagnantly. He noted all of the sorrow that filled the Jedi Master's faces, and reviled in it for a moment before making his way around the room, circling the Jedi. Obi-wan though remained where he was, and stood firm, if not defiant, of his opponent's behavior. All this made Vader laugh suddenly.

"Defiant as ever I see, Obi-wan," he started in a taunting manner, aggravated by his playful and delighted tone in his voice. He paused in circling the Jedi as he stared at him carefully. "Still, you retain some of that – boldness that you used to have when I first knew you."

Obi-wan still kept his head down, not bothering to answer, making the Sith Lord continue on talking. "Indeed, you seem to have not lost that spirit. Although you are no longer youthful and daring, you still retain your loyalty towards your students. Yoda always sensed that you retained much of your master's defiance, molding it within you, and to your own perspective. Yet I can see that you failed with me."

It was obvious that Obi-wan didn't understand a word that he was saying, so remained calm, hoping not to bring up some of the major violence and anger that had plagued him just recently.

Taking in a deep breath though he spoke. "You didn't have to kill him," he suggested in his calm way. It was charismatic, but stupid. "He didn't deserve this death. He was of no importance to you."

"Oh, I agree," Vader replied in an even manner, "but, you see, it seems that he was barring me from my prey. And when a rancor itself focuses on a certain prey, it must have it. In the end though, he sure didn't put up much of a fight, he just squealed and died." He noticed Obi-wan flinch suddenly. Smiling he said it again. "He died begging for mercy. Begging me not to kill him. But then again, death is another part of life."

"But he didn't deserve this violent death," the Jedi Master strained suddenly, emphasizing on the noun. "He deserved to die a soldier, as a peacekeeper. He was a Jedi."

"He was in my way."

"He deserved a better, more justifiable death."

"Then perhaps you should have taught him better," Vader sneered. "He was not much of a challenge, but he was in my way. He deserved to die."

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Yes," Obi-wan stressed suddenly, "why?"

Vader smiled cunningly again, and began to circle around him again, but this time placing his saber away on his belt.

"Why you ask?" he paused for a moment, locking gaze with the raised eyes and face of the Jedi Master. "Because he was my enemy. And when two people are enemies, it is expected that one of them shall die. They have to die in the end; it is the way of the Force. The way of life. Death is apart of life and we must all take it."

He walked around back towards the door to where Palpatine was hiding behind. "You may not think that he deserved this death, but I gave him no better one than he deserved." He paused again, this time beginning to sneer. "You Jedi always believe that you are with the Force. The Force only obeys the strong. For the strong to survive, the weak must perish."

"And Alkar was weak?"

"Yes."

Obi-wan reared his head, and sighed. "He was a stronger character than you. He died valiantly."

"He died as a weak man," Vader said loudly, wanting to emphasis that Alkar was not worth the time they were giving him. "He failed in attack and defence. I cut him down easily, and he died slowly, until his head was severed, that is." He stared at Obi-wan for a moment, regarding the head that was plopped at his knees, and noticed the calm and almost perfect look on the heads face. "And it also looks like he died peacefully as well, and happy."

Obi-wan got up suddenly, taking his saber from his belt and igniting it. He didn't want that type of talk about his apprentice, and he didn't want him slandered in that way. He may have only had the padawan for a few months, but he was still responsible for him. Obi-wan shook his head, feeling the anger flowing through him. He struggled to clam himself down.

"Mighty Obi-wan," Vader pounced suddenly, surprised, but expecting the response, "rearing in anger." He laughed loudly all of a sudden. Shaking his head he sighed in a low tone. "Calm yourself, Obi-wan, or you will fall to the Dark Side. And you don't want that now, do you?"

Obi-wan shook his head, but seethed, spreading his anger around. "What do you know of anger? Just because you are a Sith doesn't mean that you know everything."

"Correction," Vader snided, "If I am a Sith, then I have to know anger. Anger leads to Hate and suffering. It is what the Sith feeds off to survive, other people anger strengthens my own. Anger itself leads to safety and hope."

"It leads to death."

"It leads to freedom."

"Slavery."

"Hope."

"It leads to loss of ones self," Obi-wan replied. "It makes you lose track of things, and leads to being lonely. Failure is the way of the Sith. Anger is their justification for their failures."

Vader stiffened for a moment. He couldn't debate that for a moment, but loved to see where he could lead it. "It leads to power, Obi-wan," he began, earning a quick glance from Obi-wan. Vader carefully stared down at his saber, which hummed in the darkness. "Anger is security. Regardless for being miserable, it leads to True Power. Anger is stemmed from within the Jedi Order itself Obi-wan, as all Jedi seem to be drawn to it, and that is why they fail _**all**_ of the time. The Jedi are a thing of the past, you need to change in order to survive."

"And the Dark Side offers change?"

"Yes." Vader acted in a surprised, but cheerful manner. He was pleased that Obi-wan understood. "It offers a release from the bounds of emotion. It is an experience that changes a being. Anger is to be accepted if you are to act normal. Emotion is to be channeled into a weapon, and not dismissed."

"Emotion is the weapon of the Dark Side."

"If that is so then you are falling steadily into the downward path, my friend. You are already giving into your hate. You are becoming immersed into the Dark Side." He saw Obi-wan resign himself suddenly. "Emotion is the key to being pure."

"No." Obi-wan rounded on him suddenly. "Emotion is bad. It is evil. It leads to Darkness and death…"

"The Jedi lead to darkness and death. You are a failing order, accept it."

"Never." Obi-wan replied in an even tone. He began to breathe in heavily. Vader raised an eyebrow and felt the radiating anger coming from him. "I will not allow the Sith to return to this galaxy. The Jedi are the hope of the galaxy. The oppression of the Sith will not return. Their anger will not cloud the judgments of the Jedi."

"It is clouding yours," Vader chided him suddenly. "And you are taking a step close to becoming that darkness that you so wish to destroy. Give into your hate, Obi-wan. Let it flow through you. Your anger will be your salvation."

"My anger will be my downfall."

"Join us, Obi-wan," Vader began. "And together we could rule the galaxy, enforcing and designing it in our own way."

Obi-wan breathed in heavily for a moment, letting his anger rise. He had let him talk about emotion, and he had let him chide and disgrace his padawan, but he would not let him recruit him. He shook his head, raising his saber into the air, facing him in a defying way.

"I cannot let you live, Vader," Obi-wan stated in a confident way. "It would be unethical."

Vader stood firm. He had no intention of really recruiting him though. He would rather kill him. Nodding slowly, Vader upheld his hand and called his saber to him. He ignited it and called out his red blade. It shone within the darkened office of the Chancellor. This time he would win against him, and he would win through and not let himself be disemboweled by a Jedi. He smiled all of a sudden, earning a queer look from Obi-wan.

He shook his head. "This conversation is not yet over, Obi-wan."

"Oh yes," Obi-wan shook his head. "It is now."

* * *

**It wasn't really much of a discussion between Obi-wan and Vader, but I shall try and make it better as I go along. Also, I would like you to keep reviewing this fic, as I have been told that it is a great fic. **

**Besides this though, it develops into a better storyline as it goes along, and the discussion **_**will**_** make more **_**sense**_** as it develops. Personally I thought that this chapter was a bit crap, and is not that useful. **

**Please Review.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 – In the nick of Time**

Mace had been running dearly since his last talk with Obi-wan. When he had first been told that the Sith were attacking the Chancellor's office he could scarcely believe it himself. The thoughts of what they would hope to accomplish, besides his death, flash through his mind. There was really nothing, or no way in which they could profit from this except to create chaos within the Republic. They would most likely elect another Chancellor anyway, and then that would be the end of that.

But what had really gotten Mace uptight all of a sudden was that the supposed phantom menace from four months ago had returned, and was now haunting Obi-wan again, and was supposedly the leader of this attack. Well that was what he had discerned anyway.

It was strange to him though to see that the menace had died, apparently, twice before. Once at the hands of Obi-wan and Qui-gon, and the other when he was killed by the boy; the boy that Qui-gon had profusely called the Chosen One. And what was surprising in the end, after their entire journey, he had mysteriously disappeared. But that didn't deter Mace from the fact that his disappearance was somehow related to the Sith, but, like most of the Jedi, he couldn't prove it.

Immediately after Obi-wans message, Mace had left the Council Chambers, and gathering what few Jedi he could, including some of the Council members and a number of masters, had made his way over to the Senatorial Offices. And in all of this time, he was still bothered by the fact that there were Sith attacking the Chancellors office. The only thing that he could think of on his way here was this was somehow related to the Naboo conflict, and that the Sith were trying to knock out the Republic, sending it into disarray, and eventually, or even try and take control.

It had happened before, and he was sure that it would happen again.

He had to stop all of a sudden when he thought of the Sith ruling the Galaxy at large, ruling the Republic. It sent a shiver down his spine. Behind him one of the Jedi tapped him on the shoulder, making Mace snap out of his small transitional phase. He had been thinking for so long that he had completely forgotten that he had led the Jedi right to the Chancellor's doors. Shaking his head in wonder he kick the doors inward, making them clash against the walls.

He entered the office carefully, drawing out his lightsaber. Behind him the others followed suit, igniting them. The light of the sabers illuminated the room in shades of green and blue, and revealed to them the carnage of the office. One of the younger padawans who had come with him almost threw up as they saw the dismembered bodies, ruined among the thrown chairs and couches, the papers and the burnt walls. There were scratches everywhere along the tracts of the wall, and the papers themselves flowed through the wind as he broken windows let in a great husk of blowing cool air.

Mace narrowed his eyes all of a sudden, focusing on the commotion that he could hear. He could tell that it came from the room next door as he could hear the sabers clashing against each other. Nodding carefully he signaled the Jedi behind him to move forward, to check the bodies for life signs.

"Check the bodies," Mace ordered in his pointed tone. "Those who are alive, move them to another office, out of the way. The rest of you fan out and see if you can find the attackers, or more of them."

He turned around though and pointed to another Jedi.

"Go and get the senatorial guards," he said as he pursed his lips together. "They may be of some assistance."

The youth nodded and disappeared within a flash around the corner. Mace though turned quickly and made his way inward, ignoring the dead bodies and the Jedi helping those who were alive. There was something at his feet all of a sudden that had made him stop. He noticed that he had hit something round, and pushed it further into the darkness. Igniting his saber and moving towards it, he noticed a small head in the distance.

Turning profusely he scanned the bodies, and noticed that there was one which had no head upon it. He threw back a look at the head, and moved his hand forward to pick it up. Before he even knew who it was he had a sense of unease drip into him. He held it carefully in his hands and pursed his lips together. It was Obi-wan's own apprentice.

He shook his head once more, and then placed it down upon the floor, next to his body. The dead did not deserve to die in that way. And neither did he deserve to die in that way, separated from his body, and divided in death. He knew that it had to be a Sith or Dark Jedi, and knew that it had to be an experienced fighter. For them it was kill or be killed, and they delighted in others misery, and death.

To his left he heard a clashing of sabers, and as he stared into the dark room, he saw red and blue blades flashing in the distance, illuminating the room and the combatants. Behind him some of the Jedi had also seen the fighting, and they stared intently at it. There were two presences fighting it out, and both of them were well immersed in anger. Mace felt them both, and knew that the weaker one was Obi-wan, and that the stronger one was the Sith.

Mace immediately grew fearful of the more powerful one. He was stronger, bathed in the dark side, blessed beyond reproach. He was stronger than he allowed himself to be letting on. There was a darkness within him that refused to show. He had control of his fear and anger, yet used them as a weapon against Obi-wan, and he seemed to swell off of the anger that Obi-wan used against him.

Mace slowly stood up, wiping his bald head. Making his way forwards he felt a third presence in the room. Focusing in on it he could sense the Chancellor. It was his life signature, but it did little to avail him. He seemed different though, as if he had been absorbed into the Force. He seemed to have an inanimate Force presence within him.

The Jedi Master shook his head, and just entered the room with his saber drawn. Behind him three other Jedi followed, all at the ready, and watching as the Sith and Obi-wan fought their duel.

* * *

Their sabers clashed again, bringing the fight to another standstill. Obi-wan remained calm and restrained his anger as much as he could, but failed to produce an adequate defence against the Sith Lord. But Vader on the other hand had set his offensive strikes against him earlier and almost caught Obi-wan off guard on several occasions.

Vader remained in a typical position. He was powerful, and his raw aggression added great amounts of strength to his abilities. He recounted quickly the defensive positions that Obi-wan had used against him previously, especially on Mustafar. It was his defence that made him win back then and not only that but also that he was more focused, and not half-blinded by rage. Although he knew that Obi-wan here would not experience, and not remember it, he would enjoy reminding it of him. He could already tell that Obi-wan was trying to place him.

Vader yelled hard when he struck again at Obi-wan, throwing as much strength as he possibly could at him. He didn't want to use his potential yet, but he would most likely have to do it soon. He had to admit that Obi-wan was superb at blocking all of his attacks, but he was not adept at blocking all of them. Quickly he fired at the Jedi, hitting him hard and connecting with the Jedi. But even as their blades connected, Vader released a wave away from him, pushing Obi-wan into the distance.

He watched as Obi-wan fell back into the darkness of the shadows of night. He smiled in a sickening manner. Yet he was not finished yet. Turning sharply, he found that Palpatine was lying down on the ground, half awake as he was losing blood quickly. He made his way over as Obi-wan had to get up again, and he would not be distracted in his kill. He would not be denied the kill.

Vader sprang up through the air, and bought his saber above his head, readying to lunge with a powerful down-stroke against the frail old man. He could see the fear in his eyes as he slowly approached. He knew that Palpatine knew that it would be nearing the end, and that he would be dying. Yet he would face it with open eyes.

The Dark lord landed once more on the ground, and bought his saber down against the body of the Sith Master. But even as he did so, his blade was once again caught. He was stunned all of a sudden, as he realised that his blade had been parried away by another saber, leaving him open for an attack.

Looking to his left he saw the Jedi Master standing near him, his purple blade extending above the Chancellor, protecting him. And on his right stood Obi-wan who had rushed over here to save the ailing Chancellor. Shaking his head, and yelling loudly, Vader seethed in rage. He had been denied his kill once again. But he would have a chance at fighting the Jedi swords master, Mace Windu.

Mace stared at his attacker, and saw the bleak eyes, and the long, thin hair, which covered his face. He stared at the Sith Lord and noticed the seething rage that he had bottled up in him and the look of anger that registered in his eyes as soon as he had stopped the killing blow. Vader wasn't a fan of Windu though, and even when he had wanted his appreciation or recognition, he had never received it.

The Dark Lord though finally registered the Korun Master though. "Master Windu," he began, sneering his words, "How nice of you to join us."

The Jedi Master didn't recognize him, but merely nodded in respect. He wanted a fair fight, nothing more. Vader read his mind carefully, and almost laughed at the prospect of a fair fight. Fights were never fair; one factor would always outweigh the other.

"You should not have interfered," Vader said once more, almost gritting his teeth together. "You're impossibly outnumbered."

This made the Jedi Master smile. Behind him he heard the Jedi Knights ignite their blades and come forward. "I don't thinks so." He said as he shook his head in pleasure and disgust.

Vader now smiled, pursing his lips together. "We will see then, won't we?"

He quickly landed a Force push away at the Jedi, forcing them back. Obi-wan and Mace, with two of the Jedi went flying and fell over. The surviving Jedi though, attacked Vader quickly, only to be cut down in moments. Mace flipped upwards quickly, and then came up smoothly against the Sith, bringing his weapon down hard against him. The purple and red blades came together, illuminating their surroundings. Vader thought hard immediately, he now suspected that he might have found one of the very few in the Galaxy able to cross blades with him as an equal. This made him smile as he knew that he had the Korun Master all to himself.

But Vader wouldn't let up that easily. Breaking with the attack, he struck at the sides of the Jedi Master, trying to find his vulnerable points. But Mace held it all on his own, blocking all of the attacks. The Sith pressed hard, striking again and again with his crimson blade, making Mace blink twice about feeling the rage and power come out of him. It was seemingly limitless in size as he pounded against the Jedi in order to get an advantage.

He Force pushed the man away quickly, unable to get him to budge. He hated this fight; he thought to himself, there is neither an explanation nor advantage for it. It just keeps going on and on. Vader exasperated himself, and thought that he should just end it. Bringing the saber to the top of his head he was about to strike, but stopped as he heard a voice.

"Vader, stop."

The Sith Master did so, and turned to face his master who had appeared behind him. Immediately he saw both Revan and Maul standing in the broken window. They both seemed to have aggravated sneers on their faces. Mace stared at the people in the window, and got himself up and watched them eagerly. Within the doorway, a number of Jedi entered the room and ignited their sabers.

All of the Sith stared at their combatants, though only Vader had his saber out. It was three against seven, and they were outnumbered only two to one, but they could take them. But as soon as they had thought that the Jedi that had gone to get the guards appeared in the doorway, blocking their escape route. There was more than a dozen of them.

Revan sighed to himself, shaking his head. All eyes were on him and Vader, but Vader was looking intently at him. The Dark Lord of the Sith raised his head and stared at Vader.

"We are leaving, young one," he suggested in a ordering way. "We have achieved what we came for, and now our time is up."

Vader was seething, with a fresh wave of fear and anger flowing through him. "But _he_ still lives, I cannot go until it is finished. He must die"

"It is finished, Vader," Revan finalized, making Vader bow his head. It was sharper than Vader's tone of voice. "And he will die. But for now, we are leaving now, we shall discuss this later."

Vader, though still angry, nodded in reply. All of the Jedi and the Chancellor and his guards had just heard the small little argument, and they now knew who they were. They were surprised though as they saw the other two Sith just disappear from view, as if dissipating. Vader breathed in deeply once more, and then shut off his saber, heading for the window.

As he got to the window, he stared carefully at the rising sun, and merely nodded. Turning suddenly, he came face to face with the Jedi and the guards, and with the sun illuminating, and revealing his facial features, both young and vigorous, he left them.Mace quickly ran up towards the window and then stared out, both above and below, not even finding a soul. The Sith ha just simply disappeared.

* * *

Even as the sun had revealed the destruction, and the almost bitter annihilation of the Chancellor's office, it had also lighted up the remnants of the Sith's rampage. All along the red carpeted floor of the Chancellor's Suite, there were discarded papers, broken glass, wall fragments, and over turned chairs and tables. But among other things there was a silence that would have made a persons heart freeze.

To begin with, the room was not really built for fighting, mainly for work. It had sustained much over the past few hours, but it could be cleaned more so and built anew. It would still have the great gleam that would remain for many years to come, meaning that it would survive until the end.

The sun had illuminated the main extent of the damage, circulating around the dead bodies of the Chancellor's guard, and the Jedi. Almost a dozen guards had been killed, or slaughtered as the Jedi put it, with a loss to two of their numbers as well. Besides this though, the Chancellor had been attacked personally as he had lost an arm. It was only luck that he had it replaced with a mechanical arm, or else he would be deformed for the rest of his life.

Which in truth, he was.

Mace Windu stood staring at the sun rising higher into the sky. He had thought long and hard about the decision that the Chancellor had made, and wondered if the attempt was more organized than usual, and if it was just his chance to enter the spotlight a bit more. Palpatine though had never felt stronger. Indeed in his immediate press conference after he was released from the medical center, he had said that he thought himself stronger than before.

The Jedi Master thought about those words carefully. '"The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you my resolve has never been stronger."' He had wondered about those words more than before, and thought they had been carefully orchestrated, as if he had been practicing for years on end to say them. He merely sighed and shook his head, and wondered if he was being too overbearing.

It was true that Palpatine was a great man, but he was highly suspicious at times. Even his rapid rise to power had been strange. Granted that he had a sympathy vote for Naboo, but that hadn't yet been finalized. There was no resolution to the problem, and, not that this would surprise the Jedi at all, if the Chancellor would blame the attempted assassination upon the Trade Federation to get more control of the senate.

His thoughts were almost interrupted immediately by the small little green figure next to him. "Thinking are you, hard on the Chancellor's decision to make the Trade Federation be blamed for this attack?"

Mace nodded once more. He would keep most of his theories to himself. He didn't want to voice out too much about what he thought the Chancellor was up to, but only time would tell.

"Craving power, he does," Yoda added suddenly, "normal that is, for any man. Unlike it is for others."

The dark skinned Jedi intervened suddenly. "The Chancellor loves power," Mace turned and faced the smaller, diminutive Jedi. "And like all men, he loves it. But if he has any other passion, I have not seen it."

Yoda nodded in concession all of a sudden, aware that Mace was correct in his assumption. He observed the damage all around him, and then saw the remains of all of the senator's bodies that lay littered before him. Although they had gotten rid of the bodies some time ago, there was still some residue of their presence here. Indeed, some of their clothing remained where it was, as a marker for the moment as the governing police didn't want the Chancellor to use his office for the time being.

As a result of this though, he had been reduced to using his old senator's suite in the floors below. It didn't seem to bother him much, but then again, he would never really let on. He didn't want others to see him as weak and ineffective, it seemed.

Yoda nodded again as that conclusion came to mind. "Only lucky, he was, in escaping in such a way."

"I would not call it luck, Master," Mace snided suddenly.

Yoda looked up at the larger Jedi, staring intently. "What call it, would you?"

Mace shook his head. "Fate," he slowly said. "Chance. It was luck that Master Kenobi was here when he was. If he hadn't been here, then the Chancellor would have been killed by those Sith Lords."

"So sure of you are, that they were Sith, are you?"

"Yes, Master." Mace nodded again, staring back at the sunlight. He then made himself stare over at the window that the Sith had disappeared from. They had just vanished as if they had never been there. "Positive," he added thoroughly.

Yoda nodded in turn, and grunted softly.

"Find out who they were, we must," he began to poke Mace's leg, making the taller Jedi stare down at the smaller Jedi. "Try to prevent this from happening again, we must."

Behind them suddenly Obi-wan entered the office, and walked towards the Jedi at the window. Mace turned suddenly and watched as bi-wan appeared. He had sent him home to the Temple long ago, determined not to have him here to see the damage that had been spawned because of his timely arrival. Indeed, Mace thought that his apprentice would be more of a dire challenge for him, especially after just losing him.

The Jedi thought suddenly, and then shook his head. Obi-wan had been shaken off as an apprentice by Qui-gon who had declared the boy that they were escorting as his padawan because he believed that he was the Chosen One. And then, after that, he left the order as Anakin had disappeared, and his entire city where he had grown up was gone. Thusly he had cast Obi-wan aside, and Mace had trained him for the next two weeks, taking him through the trials and assigning him his padawan. He had watched, although the two were at first distant, as the two came closer together, and although Alkar had made Obi-wan late for most of his meetings, he was yet respected by the Jedi Knight.

He watched as Obi-wan stood on the other side of Yoda. He gave Mace a quick nod and then stared at the sunrise, making Mace stare at the small Jedi near him. They stared at each other for a moment, and then discarded and looked at the sun gleaming overhead. They heard Obi-wan sigh.

"They were Sith, my masters," he began in a solemn tone. "I am sure of it."

They both nodded as Obi-wan stared at them. Mace though stared back, eager for the discussion.

"We are aware of that, Obi-wan," he said suddenly. "But they have disappeared from our scope. We no longer know where they are. They have simply disappeared. We have lost much in this past night."

Obi-wan nodded and sighed all of a sudden, it was deep, and the Jedi could hear it. Mace voiced suddenly. "What have you done with your apprentice?" he saw Obi-wan turn to face him all of a sudden. "Shouldn't you be taking care of him at the moment?"

Obi-wan nodded. "It has all been taken care of. There is nothing to worry about, my masters."

"Remember him tonight, we will." Yoda added in suddenly.

"Thank you, my master."

Yoda nodded. He sighed all of a sudden, and became wary all of a sudden. "The darkness is deepening. Be wary, we must. It seems that the dark cloud of the Sith, enshrouds us. Tricks it will play on us. Soon, we will be tested once more."

"Is this a vision, Master?" Mace asked suddenly, earning a look from both Yoda and Obi-wan.

"No," Yoda coerced. "It is a warning."

* * *

That night, far within the upper reaches of the city, inside the small office that he had once used as a senator, Chancellor Palpatine sat in waiting. Although he had taken on his guise as Darth Sidious, he decided to wave that right tonight as he was being increasingly guarded by the Jedi. As of yet, he had no interest in being exposed as of now.

He stared calmly down at his mechanical arm, and wondered about the man who had taken it off. Indeed, the mechanics were crude and illaffirmative, but they made him feel whole again. It was as if he had another arm there, but he knew that it wasn't his real arm. He sighed as he wondered what had led him to this situation, and how he had been saved by a Jedi.

He cringed at the thought of being saved by his most hated of enemies. Even if it was a young Jedi he still hated them. Besides the Grand Master, Yoda, the one he hated the most was Obi-wan Kenobi, who had by happenstance been the one to save him.

He thought long and hard about that Jedi, and wondered how exactly fate had dropped him off into his lap. Firstly, both he and his master travel to Naboo to sort out a situation. The Master, on his way back to the Jedi Temple, scorns him by declaring that the '"Chosen One"' of the Jedi as his padawan. That must have hurt him a great amount. He had been abandoned.

Next thing he does though is end up killing his apprentice. Maul had been his favorite of his apprentices. He had been skillful, fast, and adapted well to his surroundings he was so deadly, so coolly lethal that he was a match for any Jedi. It was almost impossible to figure how he could possibly be killed by a Jedi – let alone a young boy.

That young boy had come to mind much since he had first seen him, and he was the first to see through his disguise, calling him a Sith straight to his face. It amazed him all along how the child had killed Darth Maul, who had somehow reappeared again and again. And now he was working against him with some other Sith wannabees.

The there was Obi-wan again. He shook his head as he thought about the young Jedi. He was a thorn in his side, although, he was skillful in what he did. Just thinking about him now made his blood boil. Palpatine had already 'turned' both Qui-gon and Dooku, though the former knew nothing about his turning yet. He would still take time to mould Qui-gon into into his apprentice, to replace Dooku, if need be.

But Obi-wan, now there was a challenge.

Palpatine laughed to himself all of a sudden. He then though how good it would be if he could get Obi-wan to turn. He had already turned both Dooku and Qui-gon, and they were both master and apprentice, as Qui-gon was the master of Obi-wan. Three generations of fighters, and Jedi would be a great asset to him. Then there was the thought of Obi-wan apprentice, if he took another one. But that didn't matter, as the last one was relatively weak.

For the longest time, mainly the past few months, Palpatine had thought of Obi-Wan Kenobi only as an obstacle, but had slowly thought of him as a unique object who could be turned against the Jedi. And to his surprise, he almost could be. The young Jedi had a lot of anger within him, although it would come out at times, he seemed to have control of it. It was hidden, yes, but if it could be tweaked, he would become very useful. The Jedi Master could be a useful ally in a manner of speaking. In fact, he was sure that he could be more useful than either Qui-gon or Dooku.

In a way, Obi-Wan was extremely powerful. And even if his anger was hidden, it was a raw power. Strangely, unlike the other Jedi, Obi-wan seemed to be able to take control of the power did he possess, and was able to wield it effectively. He had seen that himself when he had watched, and also felt the Jedi knight use that power against his attacker last night. It was that raw and hidden power which helped him through the fight, and kept him in control of the fight. If he could be turned, he may become a powerful ally.

Sidious smiled all of a sudden. Obi-wan Kenobi could be very useful indeed…

* * *

Far away, on a distant planet, Vader was pacing through the room of where they were hidden. He was seething, angered beyond comprehension. Revan and Maul sat near him, watching as he went passed, back and forth. "We had him." Vader started, and then stopped again.

But unlike the other times, this time he didn't want to stop. "We had him," he cringed before Revans face. "Do you hear me, we had him."

"I know," Revan replied in a calm manner. He didn't care for this right now.

"Then why did you order me to stop?" Vader asked, stopping his pacing and turning to meet his master face on. He would get his answers somehow. He needed those answers as he had just been forced from killing the man who had ruined his life.

Revan sighed, and stood up, standing eye to eye with his fellow Dark Lord. "It was the right thing to do." He added, still retaining his calm composure.

"The right thing to do was to give him a quick and easy death." Vader chided.

"You were struggling that whole time against him," Revan sneered all of a sudden. He had watched that fight from beginning to end. "And you didn't even reveal your true potential. You were merely toying with him. You have the Force on your side, why didn't you use it?"

"I was waiting for the right moment to…"

"No you weren't," Revan came back, answering sharper than he would have liked. "You should have used it to begin with. You are a Sith, not a Jedi initiate. You have the power of the Dark Side with you." he paused and then strutted the room, earning a quick glance from Vader.

"You are immersed within it for Forces sake!" He paused on the far side of the room and turned back. "The Force is your ally, use it. It should have been easy to dispatch all of them. Indeed, I found your fight with all of them to be too basic and primitive. That is how the Jedi fight, my young padawan."

"I am not a Jedi," Vader started, becoming angry with his master's attempts. "I am a Sith."

"Then start acting like one," the voice sneered in the distance. Revan turned though and came back into his seat and sat down. He sighed loudly as he sat. "You act like a child, so young and naïve. You are angry, and adversarial. They should have not been much of a challenge."

"But my master, Obi-wan and…"

"Enough!"

"But?"

"Enough," Revan warned him. "You will listen."

"…"

Revan took in a deep breath, and then clenched his fists together. "I gave you these powers for a reason." He started, blocking off Vader by lifting his hands. "I bestowed them upon you because you were worthy, and you willingly joined us. You have failed me once on this night." He paused again, making sure that he still had his attention. He began to thunder against him. "You are the Chosen One. You are supposed to bring the balance of the Force over to the right side, namely ours. You have the true power of the Force on your side, I suggest that you learn how to use it."

"But…"

Revan held up his hands, silencing him. Vader swallowed hard. "I didn't bestow upon you those powers so that they could be easily trifled with. You have the Dark Side nexus on your side. And you have the light power of sense and sensibility with you. You are as much a Jedi as you are a Sith. You are like two people combined in one. You are the Chosen One, and the Sith'ari. Thusly the Force is thusly your servant. You have the abilities to do marvelous things, young Vader."

Revan sighed for a moment, hoping that he hadn't made a mistake in giving Vader more power than he was used to, and not using it to his advantage. Shaking his head he got up off of his chair and walked around the room again. He began to remember the Sith teaching from the holocron of Yuthura Ban, one of the most ancient Sith historians and philosophers. The prophecy of the Sith'ari. _"__One who has freed themselves from all restrictions has reached perfection, their potential fulfilled. Perfect strength, perfect power, perfect destiny. Imagine it."_

Revan sighed as he thought of it. Unlike him though, Vader would never be the true Sith leader. He was merely a pawn in a larger game. Revan would lead the Sith to glory again like he did thousands of years ago. The legend flashed through his mind again. The Sith'ari would be the perfect being—the ultimate Sith—free of all restrictions. He would rise to power to lead the Sith and supposedly destroy them. But yet, even through their destruction, they, the Sith, would be reborn, making them stronger than ever.

He shook his head, and thought hard about it. Vader was useless in these terms. Totally useless. He breathed in, making Vader peer over to him. "You have the abilities to do marvelous things, Vader."

"Like what?" Vader asked curiously, lifting up his eyebrows.

Revan stared up at him again, noting the lack of learning and discipline that he had. He breathed in once more, he had already gone through this with him once, and he didn't want to have to do it again. "Through the powers that you have been endowed with, you should be able can firstly bend the Force to your will, and use it either to obey you or use it to your advantage." He stared at him, and noticed the lost look on Vader's face. "You are like a true siphon in the Force. Like what we did before, you can dissipate…"

He stopped, earning another curious look on Vader's face. He still had much to learn before he was ready; the child was still within him. "I have already been through this, so you should remember it."

"I am afraid that I don't my master,"

"Then you have already failed me again," he got up from his chair, and stared over at Maul, who seemed to be silently laughing. "I don't want you to fail me again, Vader. So don't disappoint me – or yourself."

"Yes, my master," Vader replied in a solemn tone, "I mean, I wont my master."

"See to it that you don't," he said, pausing after a sharp moment. He still stared at Vader, and the thought of how useful he would be. He was meant to bring balance to the Force. Somehow, Revan didn't see that yet. Yet, he knew, that with is help, that the balance would soon go over to their side.

He licked his lips and stared even more profusely at the Dark Lord. his hair seemed to stick to the back of his neck. "What else dwells on your mind, my friend?"

He knew he answer before he had even asked it. "Palpatine." Vader replied tersely.

"Ah yes," Revan laughed crudely. "The famed Sith Master."

"I was meant to kill him"

"And you failed."

"Only because you made me do so," Vader debated with him harshly. "I could have finished off all of the Jedi and the guards, and the Chancellor easily," he said pointing in a sharp ton at him. "Only you made me depart."

There was silence for a moment before Vader continued. "Why?"

"Why?"

"Yes, why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you do that?"

"Because it was necessary."

"Why was it necessary?"

"Because it was," Revan returned in an even and serious tone. His voice dropped suddenly and became a menacing tone. "You were not accomplishing anything but a less than half hearted attempt at fighting. It was a poor attempt on your part. I expected you to fight fair at first, and then send in all of your power in the end."

Revan shook his head and sighed once more, though only for a moment, before continuing.

"We achieved what we did come for," Revan announced. "Although we didn't kill Sidious, we still made sure that our presence is known to both the Jedi and Sidious."

"But we didn't kill him." Vader mentioned in a silent but deadly tone of voice. He had missed his chance, and still blamed it on Revan.

"Yet you damaged him," Revan supplied as an apparent comfort. "You cut off his arm, making that your first successful attempt against him. And, surprisingly, you almost ruined Obi-wan, making him angry, and also tried to recruit him."

"Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Is that an old tactic of yours, my young apprentice?" Revan offered suddenly. "Answering a question with a question. I would never have thought that you would still maintain it."

"Old habits die hard."

"Indeed."

"But what of Sidious," Vader asked all of a sudden. "He will most likely be able to grow in strength for the next ten years."

"He will die," Revan supplied. "And as he grows in power, so will we. As he makes plans, so shall we, using his own plans against his." He paused for a moment, staring at Vader. "We will corrupt his affairs and place ours in the works immediately. We will conspire, and so act upon our initiative. We will destroy him from the inside, before we act on the outer. Then when he is witless and unmanned, totally lost and alone, we shall strike."

He remained staring at Vader, knowing that he wanted to speak out suddenly. Revan held up his hand for the third time, silencing him.

"Until that time, we shall remain silent, and train harder. We shall set our plans in motion," he received a nod from Maul, and a terse nod from Vader. He hardened his gaze all of a sudden, pointing it at Vader. "And you have training to do, young Vader." The Dark Lord this time stared at him, open minded and curious. "Yes, you still have ten years of training, and thousands upon thousands of readings to read, and then more so will be coming…"

* * *

**That was a bit different, wasn't it?**

**Aw well. Old habits die hard, eh?**

**Please Review.**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Some weird arse strange version of an Authors Note:**_ Okay, my young friends and readers. I hope that you have enjoyed this story up to this far, and I hope that I have received many reviews by this time. I know that it is difficult to get into, but it will glide along soon, and sometime it will all be understood.

But for now, I am here to tell you the state of this story. Firstly, _The Phantom Menace_ saga has finished, and the _Attack of the Clones_ saga is now coming into fruition. Now, since it is ten years on, everything has changed. So I am going to give you a brief overview and then a spoiler.

Firstly, Obi-wan has been coerced into becoming a bit more aggressive, and is well on his way into getting, or becoming, I should say, a Sith pawn under Palpatine. _But fortunately for us, that doesn't happen as Palpatine is attacked again, but this time is killed. Even though he will come back later in the story, as he was able to clone himself – or something like that. _

Now all of the plans of the Sith are laid out carefully, and carefully orchestrated. Both Vader and Maul and Revan have set in motion a plan that will send Sidious down into the depths of hell, they are basically setting him up. They have a fair number of manipulations in their hand, and are playing against the Sith Lord. Revan has taken on the guise of Lord Nihilus again, and is falling under suspicion of the Jedi as a possible Dark Lord of the Sith as he has a Sith Lords name. (I couldn't resist that).

Now, that should do it. It has been ten years since the Phantom Menace, just remember that.

I don't know if that will help you or not, but, hey, I am sure that you will soon get the hang of the story.

Good Luck reading it.

* * *

**Disclaimer: I apologize for any inconvenience against the author of Attack of the Clones Novelization, and also against the Lucas Arts scripts work for the film. I do not claim them as my works, but I do apologize for using them in the wrong manner. But anyway, it is a work of fiction.**

**Chapter 18 – Force Power**

_**22 BBY**_

"The Conscription Bill must be passed." Senator Valcar of Commenor bellowed suddenly, his voice reaching all of the far reaches of the senate auditorium. "We are already within dire straits. This Separatist Alliance has already breached the Republic as we know it. We need more of an aggressive stance against them if we are to defeat them."

Palpatine stared at the man as the senator rounded the small Chancellor's Spire and faced him. He wasn't a fan of Valcar, and they had been rivals to the bitter end, ever since the last Chancellor's election. The Chancellor's face became firm as the senator continued. "My lord, with my deepest respects," He seemed to sigh. "Some of the other senators have agreed with me that you are lacking in your resolve to govern the Republic any longer. We have agreed that we should elect a new leader, who will actually let us have peace, where we shall prevail against the Separatist enemy within time."

The Chancellor was dumbfounded, and amid the degrading voices that shot down against the senator of Commenor, who had just announced such a thing, the Chancellor stood up and then looked at the younger man. Immediately the auditorium went silent. The Chancellor's voice was full of experience and confidence. He smiled as he talked. "And who did you have in mind for this 'takeover' senator?" he asked casually, adding some mirth and skepticism to his voice. "You?"

The senator now smiled. "Yes, my lord. I so propose that you put me in command of the Republic as you are not fit to lead it anymore."

Palpatine immediately tensed up. Beside him, the Senate seemed to talk aloud and began ranting that it was preposterous that you should replace the Chancellor at this stage of the peace talks with the Separatists. One by one the senators began to yell and degrade Valcar where he stood. Others did actually begin to agree with him. Palpatine merely stood firm, and held up his hand to call for silence. "If I didn't know any better, senator," the Chancellor smiled suddenly, sending a small shiver down Valcar ' spine. "I would say that you are trying to incite a rebellion."

There was a casual laugh throughout the auditorium as the senators began to crack up over the Chancellors joke and appraise against the senator. Valcar, who had been standing firm, now became embarrassed and sent his pod back to his place among the crowd of thousands of senators, where he sat and waited for the Senate to reimburse itself in the daily procedures. As he disappeared back to his place, Mas Amedda stood up suddenly, and bellowed out into the arena before him. his physical stature calling everyone to focus in on him.

"Order!" he yelled loudly. His voice was clear and deafening, calling everyone to silence around him. "We shall have order!" As soon as he was sure that everyone was listening to him he continued. "The motion for the Republic to commission an army takes precedent, and that is what we will vote on at this time. Chancellor Palpatine has done his recommended term of office, and by the approval of the Senate he was voted to remain in office until such time as the Separatist crisis is over."

There was a roar of approval from the stadium as all the senators agreed with the statement that had been passed. Beside Amedda, Palpatine smiled, and he made his way forward as to speak. "Thank you for your words of confidence, Vice Chair Amedda, I wish that I could return…" he gaze was bought away by one of his screens before him, as it buzzed with a message, confirming what he had been secretly hoping would happen. There was shock that appeared in his eyes, and as he bought his head up to face the senate, he called out in a solemn and surprised tone.

"My esteemed colleagues," he began, changing his tone into a sorrowful one, he swallowed hard. "I have just received some tragic and disturbing news. Senator Amidala of the Naboo system has been assassinated!"

It was almost as if the air in the vast arena of senate pods had suddenly been sucked out of the room. It was a shock at best, that one of their most prominent senators had been killed out of spite so that a vote would pass. She had been added to the list of those favoured senators who had lost their lives in the struggle against the corruption of the Republic. Palpatine remained the centre of attention. Secretly, he smiled inwardly as he wanted Padme Amidala out of the way, and she was hindering his approach to his galactic goal.

He stood up proudly, and smiled in a sorrowful way. "It is with great reluctance, that I say this, for this grievous blow is especially personal to me." He paused for a moment to think how he should approach this. "Before I became Chancellor, I served Amidala when she was Queen. She was a great leader who fought for justice, not only here in this honorable assembly, but also on her home planet. It was with my forced hand, and her aide that we made the Federation accept a treaty of peace with the Naboo. She was so loved she could have been elected Queen for life. She believed in public service, and she fervently believed in democracy. Her death is a great loss to us all. We will all mourn her as a relentless champion of freedom, and as a dear friend."

Mas Amedda immediately stood up noticed that there was another senatorial pod approaching with the Alderaanian party within it. He quickly headed for his microphone. "The Chair has not recognize the senator from the sovereign state of Alderaan. Return to your post immediately."

"I must insist, my lord, that I be allowed to speak." Bail said aloud.

"Denied." Amedda said, yelling at the man.

"My Lord," he was now appealing to the Chancellor. "I must be allowed to speak."

Palpatine merely nodded in acceptance of Bail, knowing clearly that he was most likely about to berate him. Bail acknowledged the nod and then proceeded to address the senate. All the while, the Chancellor was probing his mind, and Amedda was in deep thought. _'I must manipulate him somehow.'_

"Honorable representatives of the Republic, distinguished delegates, and Your Honor Supreme Chancellor Palpatine," he paused momentarily, and stared to make sure that he had all of the Senates attention. There is a moment of silence as they waited for him to continue. "How many more Senators will die before this civil strife ends! Amidala was a dear friend to me, and I mourn her loss severely, and I must say that I believe that we will all gain from her death…"

"It sounds like that you are suggesting that you had something to do with this, senator." And another pod came into view suddenly, making Bail and the Chancellor's party stare in awe at who had entered into the conversation. Bail and the Chancellor mask their faces in deep surprise as they see Senator Falkenhayn of Balmorra intervene suddenly, his voice grave. "Is there something that you wish for us to know about senator Amidala's death?"

After a moments silence, Bail swallowed and then proceeded to defend himself. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"I am sure that you don't," Falkenhayn returned to him. "But then again, we shall never know now, will we."

This time Palpatine intervened on the defence of Bail. Even he found that odd as he knew that Bail would conspire against him anyway. "What are you suggesting, sir. That Bail Organa had something to do with Padme Amidala's death. I am sorry to say that I do not think that that was possible as he just doesn't seem the type to be too aggressive, especially to his _close_ friends."

Bail didn't miss the disdain on the 'close', yet he didn't interfere or try to defend himself. Palpatine was merely trying to manipulate him again. After another moment's silence, and tension rising between Bail and Falkenhayn, the sound of another pod came into view. All gazes turned to that pod, and they saw Ask Aak of Malastare moving his pod towards the center of the arena. Palpatine couldn't do anything but sigh as he hated that senator above all else, and especially the people from Malastare.

He nodded to the Chancellor first and the proceeded to address the senate. "Noble delegates, I must ask you of your opinions. How many more Senators will die before this civil strife ends! We must confront these rebels now, and we need an army to do it. These are dangerous times; we need security to affront our decisions. We need protection."

Another pod came into view with the senator of Commenor once again addressing the senate. "The Republic needs more security now! Before it comes to war."

Bail Organa now appeared on the defence of the Republic. His loyalty to the Republic was second to none. It came first before his family. "Must I remind the Senator," he paused as he stared at him with narrowed eyes. "That the negotiations with the Separatists are continuing. And although they be strained, our objective with them is peace. War will not bode well among the people that we represent."

A voice suddenly entered the arena as things began to heat up. My noble colleagues, I concur with the noble senator from Alderaan. At all costs, we do not want war!"

All eyes suddenly averted their gaze from the middle group of delegates towards he newcomers that appeared. To all of their surprise they saw Padme Amidala send her pod into the center of the auditorium. There were cries and jeers rather return. It was true that some of the senators wanted her dead, but many of them also were vocal supporters of her ideas. He Chancellor and the senators in the middle merely stared at her, not knowing what to say. There was shock at seeing her alive.

Palpatine finally found his voice though, and began to talk with her. "It is with great surprise and joy the chair recognizes the Senator from Naboo, Padmé Amidala."

Padme nodded to the Chancellor and then stared at the staring and eager faces of the Senate as they waited for her speech. She smiled as she began, but her face was firm. "Less than an hour ago, an assassination attempt was made against my life. One of my bodyguards and six others were ruthlessly and senselessly murdered. I was the target but, more importantly, I believe this security measure before you, was the target."

"How can you be so sure?" one of the senators nearer asked casually. I have heard that one of you handmaidens was a criminal, maybe she was the target. Maybe she was the one that died protecting you."

"I will not debate with you, senator, about that possibility," she gave an even stare back at the senator. "But it was a decoy of me that died, so therefore I will have had to have been the target. Most likely it was because of my leading of the opposition to build an army. I warn you, if you vote to create this army, war will follow. I have experienced the misery of war firsthand; I do not wish to do it again."

"Well that is your decision, my lady," Valcar intervened. "But you must see that if war is the only way, then it must be so. You and your people are a peaceful planet, and haven't been able to wage a war in thousands of years. You are too peaceful for your own good, and thus you bought the situation on yourself."

"I object to that statement, senator Valcar." Padme roared at him all of a sudden, causing him to stiffen. Around them there is yelling against her and for her. Some people were condoning what they were saying to each other. The senate was yet again taking sides. "Be that a it may, and my people are peaceful, I will say that if we offer the Separatists violence, they can only show us violence in return! Many will lose their lives. All will lose their freedom. This decision could very well destroy the very foundation of our great Republic. I do loathe the decision of leaving my people, and seeing my bodyguard's slaughtered in the name of the Trade Federation. I pray you, do not let fear push you into a disastrous decision. Vote down this security measure, which is nothing less than a declaration of war! Peace is better than war, we have all seen that."

"But if it comes to War, then war it shall be senator," Valcar intervened again, giving her a sickening smile. The senator shivered away at this. "There is nothing that you can do about this, senator." He now turned to Palpatine, and addressed the Senate clearly. "My motion to defer the vote must be dealt with first. _That_ is the rule of law."

Padme reigned herself in defeat as the Chancellor gave her a sympathetic look. His thoughts now dwelled upon her, as he thought that he would have to try and kill her later, this time with more success. She was a thorn in his side. Yet, an attractable thorn at that.

* * *

The Chancellor sat in a solemn, yet proud mode behind his desk, firmly watching the Jedi as they sat before him. They had come in only recently, just as soon as the Senate meeting had been adjourned. As customary the main active Jedi on the Jedi Council were with him in the meeting, they included among them the notable dignitaries of Yoda, Mace Windu, Plo Koon and the Cerean Master, Ki-adi-Mundi. They all sat with their solemn faces opposite the Chancellor, watching all of his bodily movements, and studying him carefully.

There was nothing out of place that should be noted. The only thing that should be noted was that Palpatine had gotten severely older since he had signed the Naboo-Federation Treaty almost ten years ago. His hair had gone whiter and thinner, and his figure had become denser with age. Like Master Yoda, he was wrinkled and sagged all around, as if the stress of the office had been getting to him. Indeed he had been in office far longer than the requested time as Chancellors were only opted to remain in command of the Republic for eight years, it was nearing his tenth now, and there was as of yet, nothing that important to note besides the fact that he had been ordered to remain in the Chancellor's chair by the senate themselves.

Palpatine sighed as he stared at the complacent faces of the Jedi Masters. "I don't know how much longer I can hold off the vote, my friends." He paused in an agitated way as he used that word, it sickened him slightly. "More and more star systems are joining the Separatists every day, and as far as I see it, the Republic will need an army soon, or else there will be no Republic to speak of."

Master Windu countered him suddenly, his tone severe. "If they do break away, you must realise that there aren't enough Jedi to protect the Republic." He paused momentarily as if to sound meaningful. His expression changed suddenly as well, falling into calm steady stare. "Our job revolves around negotiating. We are the keepers of the peace, we're not soldiers."

Palpatine sighed once more, understanding the pain of the Jedi Masters. If that Galaxy fell apart, there would not be enough Jedi to defend even Coruscant. they would soon thin out in numbers and disappear. The Sith Lord smiled inwardly at this, hiding his personal fantasies in his head. He caught the steady gaze of Mace and smiled weakly at him before countering with his own argument.

"This Republic has existed for over a thousand years," his voice strained in argument, he screwed up his face as he mentioned it. "It has been through worse times than we can even possibly imagine. As I have seen it, your negotiations have failed."

He paused for a moment, and stared the Jedi in the eye, letting his temper settle down. "_My_ negotiations will _not_ fail in their attempts!"

Yoda closed his eyes at that remark, and Mace merely stared at him in a conjectured way. They had neither missed that statement of Palpatine's, referring to his negotiations, they often wondered what he was exactly hiding up his sleeve. He was in a meditative state when he felt Palpatine's countenance fall on him. He opened up his eyes carefully. Shaking his head he opted to speak out of what he had felt.

"Growing stronger, the Dark Side is, I feel," he said in a weak and silent voice. "The Dark Side clouds everything. Impossible to see, the future is. Though war will come, do their duty, the Jedi will, to protect the Republic."

The Chancellor sighed all of a sudden, nodding his head in approval. Although he longed to be rid of the Jedi he had need of them until all of his plans were wrought, and at the right time he would strike out at them. His plans were going as he had expected though. Both Dooku and the unsuspecting Qui-gon Jinn were doing all of his workings in securing his plans and formalities in the coming war. Although Qui-gon had yet to understand, or even know that he was working for the Sith, he had to know that some of the things he was doing for the Chancellor were a bit abrupt.

He smiled behind his desk all of a sudden, but he hid it quickly lest the Jedi see him. he would pass it off though as a weak smile of a past memory when things were so much simpler. Things were harder now than had been expecting. And there were some things that were not going to plan. However as he even tried to think of those things he had wished were simpler now there was a small beeping on his console, and being knocked out of his trance he stared at it carefully and then went to press it.

As soon as he had pressed the button a small holographic picture of his assistant appeared on his screen. The hologram was small and fuzzy, but was clear to see through. From the distance, Mace could see that the hologram was of a Rodian. He thought it strange almost immediately that someone of that species would get this far up within the Republic.

The figure bowed gracefully to the Chancellor before speaking. "The loyalist committee has arrived, _my_ Lord."

Mace's eyebrows rose at that statement. The Rodian aide was graceful, that was unusual in their race. Rodian's were not usually known for their respectable nature. He saw Palpatine nod at that remark, and then nodded in suspense.

"Good, send them in." He started all of a sudden, rounding his eyes upon the Jedi. "We will discuss this matter later; after all, politics is politics."

Both Mace and Yoda studied him for a moment, wondering what he had meant by those words, but there was neither time nor an explanation for it. their time with the Chancellor had just ended, and they had been asked to leave. True to be it what the Chancellor had said, 'politics is politics', and the Jedi had no use in politics.

All of the Jedi turned and faced the door, only to come face to face with a group of influential senators. One by one they sallied forth into the room. The Jedi immediately noticed that senator Amidala was among them, as was senator Organa.

To the Jedi it was understood why the Loyalist committee had been created at the onset of the Separatist situation. But the Senate though must have been wondering why the weakest planets, mainly those who have no defence force besides their small security force, would all join together. It actually made no sense, and already, this Loyalist Committee had many enemies. Indeed, it was surprising that the Separatists had not made an attempt to contact them, as they were both the most hated parties in the Senate itself, and were not that different.

As the senators approached, Palpatine cringed suddenly. He hated to have to deal with these peace loving people. Already his plans were strained with much sabotage and corruption, and these people added nothing to lift it from his shoulders.

Mainly, they added to the burden.

He sighed all of a sudden, and hid his disdain quickly. Unfortunately, at this moment, he had to focus on the now, and be done with it. He would get through this, even if it meant their demise. This committee would have to be dealt with swiftly. He stiffened in his chair as they got closer.

Master Yoda on the other hand though stood in silence, watching as the scene unfolded before him. Indeed, the senator was not pleased to hear that her supposed would be assassins were supposedly from a spice mine on some uncharted moon far in another system. Although, he would have to say that the next words out of her mouth did surprise him.

She was clear and stern in her challenge. "I think that Count Dooku was behind it."

She had said it, and the Chancellor was not even surprised. Yoda felt his feelings on the moment, and could tell that he was more than usual in his attempt to remain in his calm composure. There was something within him that flickered quickly, and so suddenly, but soon disappeared into nothingness. The aged Jedi Master shook his head, thinking that he had seen nothing.

Behind him the other people in the room stirred suddenly, but quickly came to his defence.

"He is a political idealist," Ki-adi-Mundi, the Cerean Jedi Master voiced in a calm, and almost disgusted way. "Not a murderer."

Mace had to agree on that point. It was impossible for Count Dooku to do that sort of thing. He was an honorable man, besides his ties with the Separatists, but honorable. There was no way he could be a murdered. "You do know, m'Lady, that Count Dooku was once a Jedi. He couldn't assassinate anyone."

He paused for a moment, noting her discredited stare. "Even if you do not believe it, m'lady, it is against everything that he stands for. He is an honorable man. Assassination is not in his character." He faced Yoda almost immediately. "What do you think, master?"

There was silence for a moment, but Yoda mused suddenly. "Senator Amidala, your tragedy on the landing platform, terrible. Misjudged your mind, I think it has. Yet, in dark times such as these, nothing is what it appears to be."

He stared at her carefully. "In grave danger, senator, you are."

Amidala conceded to this point for a moment, and then, as she was about to reply she was cut off by the older, more suggestive voice behind Yoda. She peered up from staring at the diminutive Jedi Master and stared at Palpatine.

Palpatine had walked up and placed himself at the window, observing the outside world, watching as all of the floating transports and ship went by his window. He sighed gently before continuing in what he was suggesting to the Jedi what he hoped they would go along with.

"My Jedi friends," he began earnestly, almost in a sympathetic tone. He turned slightly and faced them directly. "Is there a way that I might suggest that the senator be placed under the protection of your graces?"

"What do you mean sir?" voiced one of the senators before Bail Organa cut him off.

The senator nodded in understanding, but didn't agree with the proposal. "Do you believe that it is that wise under these present times?"

Palpatine narrowed his eyes suddenly, not liking the way that the senator from Alderaan was talking. He was a cautious man, but he was more or less one of his biggest opponents. Indeed, Organa had already opposed many things that the Chancellor had attempted to create or instigate, and had been shut down by the senator, in almost the exact same tone. Yet, what was strange was the fact that he remained loyal to the Chancellor.

Or, even as Palpatine thought of it now, perhaps it was the Chancellor's office.

He shook his head quickly, and then began to nod as if he was answering Bail's cautious attempt at compromising. It didn't matter in the end, Organa was loyal to him, and would remain so.

"Indeed," the Chancellor said gravely. "I do believe that it is necessary. There have already been a number of assassination attempts on your life, the last resulting in the death of your decoy mistress."

"Chancellor, if I may comment," Senator Amidala said earnestly, though it would go on deaf ears. Palpatine had already made up his mind. "I do not believe the..."

"...'situation is that serious,'" the Chancellor finished almost immediately. He shook his head. His mind was made up. "No, but I do, Senator."

He saw that she was about to contradict him, but silenced her with a quick hand in the air. "These are dangerous times, m'lady, and you are in danger. I realize all too well that additional security might be disruptive for you," he mused to himself all of a sudden, now he would play his card.

"But perhaps someone you are familiar with...an old friend like...Master Kenobi...?" he searched the room and stared at the Jedi. He made eye contact with Mace, and then Yoda, wanting their support. He sent a small nudge in their direction.

"That's possible," Mace nodded almost immediately, agreeing with the Chancellor's words. He began to think carefully for a moment, wondering why he would choose Obi-wan of all people. "He should have just returned from a minor border dispute on Ansion."

Amidala thought immediately, and shook her head. She didn't want more guards again to interfere with her life. She had enough protection anyway, with all of her security guards. She locked eyes with the Chancellor for a moment, and opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off swiftly.

"The decision is final, m'lady," Palpatine offered in his silencing tone.

She immediately shut her mouth even as the Chancellor continued. "The guards are a necessary priority for the sanctity of your life. You are in danger, m'lady, and you need to be protected." He paused for a momentous moment. He began to act in a sorrowful manner. "Do it for me, m'Lady, please. The thought of losing you - is unbearable."

The senator would have liked to continue, of course, but she realised that it was hopeless. Palpatine smiled as he felt her sigh in defeat. _'Good,'_ he though almost immediately. _'with Obi-wan on his way, and a new threat around the corner, I will be able to draw him closer to my goal.' _

He quickly discerned those thoughts from his head, and almost immediately, as he had done that, he felt something tingle in the back of his head. He frowned suddenly, but then dispersed that almost immediately.

He stared at the Jedi neared him, and though he silently felt their senses, he could neither tell if they had or not felt that minor Force ripple.

But there was something coming.

* * *

Far away, on the far landing pads of the main city, a number of landing craft descended from the upper atmosphere, making its way forward to one of the hovering pads that lay in wait for it.

The ship was of no importance. Regarding its size for a moment, the onlookers could see that it was merely a small cargo ship, or even a freighter carrying tourists. They cared nothing of it, and ignored it. More people, as long as they didn't stay, weren't going to be a problem for them. They would merely be here and gone.

Unfortunately for them though, there was a minor figure on this particular ship who had stowed away on its trip. He was of no importance, merely a scout to do some work before the real master came to complete his mission. He would merely be sending a message across to the Jedi. That was all that he had to do.

He felt the ship jolt all of a sudden, and knew that it had landed. Nodding to himself he raised himself from the cargo hold, placing his hood over his head as to avoid being seen. He had thought of this moment for a few years now, and he hadn't been given that assignment for no reason. Quickly reaching into his pocket he grabbed a small device and stared at it. There was no intricate design, merely a rounded object with a small dial at the top.

Smiling to himself, he did what he was told. Twisting the dial carefully, he saw the red dot appear on the top of it, and then discarded it in one of the small boxes within the hold named "Accellerite", and promptly left the hold, making his way up to the outer world.

He quickly disappeared from the ship and made his way outside. As soon as he smelt the breath of fresh air hit his face, he knew that he had finally reached his destination. He closed his eyes to absorb the moment, but then opened them after a few minor moments.

Looking to his left and right, he discerned the buildings from each other and glanced over them as they were of no interest to him. He paused momentarily as he stared into the distance. He could see the tall towers of the Jedi Temple in the far, smog drenched sky. He smiled carefully, and made his way towards the air taxi that had been sent to pick up a number of people from the ship.

As soon as he had entered, the doors closed, and the taxi sped off. But yet, it was not long after, that the ship that everyone had come in on exploded in a ball of flame, engulfing the entire platform and the ship.

He noticed carefully as everyone within the taxi looked back shocked, except him, who smiled.

* * *

Within the Jedi Council chambers, Yoda and Mace Windu sat in silence. Like the Chancellor they too have felt the small ripple that had flown through them. They merely ignored it at first, but then it became a problem as it returned soon after.

They were unfortunately unable to find the source of it, although they knew that it came into the direction of Tatooine. They had been sure of that, and knew that it had come from there. Yoda nodded in certainty, but Mace was still not too sure. A ripple that small couldn't have come from Tatooine, it was too far away for it to come from there.

There was no way.

But the Jedi Master had been convinced, and his word was final. That was unless the rest of the council outweighed him on this, but he knew that they wouldn't as Mace Windu was the only one with him. Yoda opened his eyes and nodded at his companion, and then turned to face the third of their company.

Quinlan Vos stood firm in his place within the centre of the chamber. He eyed the two Jedi carefully, watching them for any sudden movements. He had no idea why he had been called here, but he would soon find out. The Kiffar sighed for a moment, breathing in cautiously as he didn't want to raise his suspicions.

Yoda nodded once more, and then eyed the Kiffar.

"Disturbed we are," he said in his broken manner. "Different the Force has become."

"Yes, master." Quinlan offered in his defence, nodding, but not understanding.

"Understand you do not, why you are here?"

"No master."

"All about to change, that is." The Jedi Master added with a wry smile before staring at his companion.

The dark skinned Jedi smiled before continuing what Master Yoda wanted to be said.

"Recently we have had a number of minor ripples come out of the Arkanis System." He paused, making sure that the Jedi got the point. "As there have been a number of stemming - problems coming from Tatooine in the past, it may be necessary that we investigate."

"Tatooine?" Quinlan voiced in a skeptical manner. "You want me to go back to Tatooine?"

Breathing in once more, he began to shake his head. "It has been ten years since I was last there, and I am glad to be rid of that smoldering rock."

"Indeed, you are." Yoda interfered. "But necessary it is. And blend in you do. Traveler you will go as, and find the source of the ripple, you will."

"Yes Master." Quinlan sighed. He didn't have much of a choice in the matter, as it was given by the Jedi Grand Master of the Order. There was no negotiation with him. Once he ordered something, it was your duty to carry it out, regardless of what it was.

* * *

Having Obi-wan Kenobi on his side would boost his status well. Meaning by that is that he would be able to control others with an easier sense. Like he had said almost ten years ago, and as all the time when he sees Obi-wan, is that he has great control of his power.

Unlike Dooku, who is used for his political manipulations, and perhaps, his ability as a great leader, and if not, one of the finest swordsmen that he had ever met. And even perhaps, Qui-gon Jinn, who had so recently been his newest achievement, though neither Dooku nor Qui-gon new that they were either Sith. Sidious wanted to, in fact, replace Dooku with Qui-gon when the time came, but now he had no problem with that.

He now would soon have Obi-wan by his side.

Obi-wan was, to be frank, definitely one of the greatest of the Jedi Knights to have ever lived. Indeed, although Sidious didn't want to use them, corrupting them to his service, they did come in handy as they had already completed all of the necessary. Their hopes just needed to be quashed, and all of their idealisms needed to be changed and nurtured. It had taken him ten years with Qui-gon, and only a few months with Dooku. The Ith Master was hopeful that Obi-wan would be quicker and easier to persuade.

He smiled as he though of it. Obi-wan was, even according to the Jedi, was them embodiment of the old Jedi Order. He was steadfast, selfless, and modest. The man though would never turn that easily, and would take time to be manipulated, but he would succeed. The only reason he wanted Obi-wan was that he could control his power, centralizing it if he had too, and bring it out at the right moment. He was strong in that way. One thing though that he seemed to have inherited from Dooku though was his skill with negotiating. The Sith Master smiled at this. He had read the report that had come in from Ansion about Obi-wan and his apprentice's attempts, and succeeding resume with the inhabitants of that planet. He had seen Obi-wan at his best before, when he was like this. His skill at resolving disputes without a single shot were almost legendary among the politicians here.

Indeed, they almost envied him.

'_And the anger of the boy,'_ Sidious thought. _'It is great indeed. More powerful than the others that I have coerced into my thrall.'_

Sidious knew that all of the anger had been bottling up, ever since he had been rejected by his old master, Qui-gon. It had all started with him, and he hoped, even now, that it would soon end with him as well. The Sith Master was sure that he didn't like having Mace Windu to fulfill his last weeks in training him. Indeed, Qui-gon had shamed him badly, and had tarnished the reputation of the Jedi Order.

Yet, even as Sidious knew, there had been recent sporadic arguments between Qui-gon and Obi-wan. They would not be resolved for a while, he knew that, and every time that Qui-gon came up to his old apprentice, Obi-wan would shun him. In fact, the last time he had tried, Obi-wan had almost killed his old master, and threatened him not to come before him again. Mace had scolded him well after that escapade, and even Obi-wan apprentice was a bit fearful of him.

More so the better, Sidious thought.

'_He will be strong. He will be useful.'_ He nodded succinctly.

Immediately dragging his thoughts away, the hologram that he had called for almost an hour ago appeared before him. That was the problem with Dooku, no matter how hard he tried, there was always some reason that he was late. He never called his master on time, or returned a message so quickly.

The small hologram phased before him, shimmering in the blue lit way. The figure with in it smiled at the seated Sith Lord, and bowed curtly. The Sith Master didn't smile back, but merely sighed.

"You are late," he pointed out in a disgusted way. He didn't like to be kept waiting, and everyone who worked for him should have known that.

The hologram bowed again, and then proceeded to excuse himself. "I am sorry,. My master, I was…"

"Excuses." Sidious seethed suddenly, becoming agitated. "I have no need of them. They are irrelevant. You should call me on time, and answer me with a true reason. My plans do not allow mistakes, Dooku, even you should know that."

The hologram began to rub its small scar above his left eye, extending down to his lower cheek. He nodded curtly this time, but proceeded gently.

"What is your wish, my master?" Dooku asked in a profound way.

Sidious nodded. "I have felt a disturbance in the Force, my young apprentice."

"I have felt it as well, my master."

"Indeed?" Sidious asked in an obvious, but disbelieving way.

"Yes, my Lord." Dooku finalized.

The Sith Master remained quiet for a moment, considering Dooku's response. "Do you know of where it was sourced?"

The reply was swift. "No, my master."

He sighed indignantly. Dooku was ever the moderator, ever the annoying, and conniving man. Licking his lips he began to formulate his response.

"Jedi Master Yoda seems to think that it came from the Arkanis System."

"Tatooine?" Dooku asked in a disbelieving manner. "There is nothing there was sand and rock."

"Much like to Korriban it is." Sidious contemplated. "They were both once lush and lavish worlds, full of life, and different species, until the coming of the old Empires. So much have the Sith accomplished, except their ultimate victory."

He paused for a moment, taking n a deep breath. "The balance of the Force is changing, my apprentice. The Dark Side is shifting itself, remodeling itself. It is changing, but remaining dark. We no longer have the advantage. Someone else, or something else has appeared, and is changing the balance."

"And you believe that it is this Force presence on Tatooine?" Dooku asked in a nonchalant way.

"I do indeed, my young apprentice."

"Am I to investigate?" Dooku asked once more.

"Yourself," Sidious almost laughed. "No."

There was a momentous pause before he replied. "Send one of your minions."

"Yes, my lord."

The Dark Lord was pleased with that. One thing about Dooku was that when he was given an order, he would enact it. There was a slight pause before Sidious intervened again. This time though his voice was strong, and crudely placed.

"How are the plans with the Separatists forwarding?" he inquired suddenly. "Are they succeeding?"

Dooku nodded almost immediately. "They have agreed to my proposal of withdrawal from the Republic. But only the Geonosians and the Trade Federation have signed on at this moment. The Techno Union and numerous Commerce Guilds have yet agreed to it. I have asked though that all apparent signatories meet on Geonosis where we can finalize the treaty."

"Excellent." Sidious countered. "I want them armed and ready with a few weeks. If I do not instigate the war, then soon, I will want you to begin. Pick a planet of your choosing, and then invade it. The Republic and Jedi will hopefully be caught off guard, and I can instigate more powers, imposing them upon the senate. Soon they will be powerless."

"Yes m'lord." Dooku continued.

"Do what must be done, Lord Tyranus," Sidious ordered in his quiet and infallible tone. "I am expectant that your results will prove useful. Do not fail me."

"I won't, my lord."

"Be sure that you do not." The Dark Master warned before he cut the communication.

He was sure that Dooku got the message, and he would carry it out with pure efficiency. In the end, he would be victorious in either way. If the Republic wins, or if the Separatists win. The coming war will be devastating to the Republic, and will ruin them.

Sidious smiled, dwelling on his thoughts of the war, and how he would mould one last Jedi to his will.

* * *

**This story will have a lot of twists and turns within it. So be wary and make sure that you are watching it when the time comes. Something will happen with the Obi-wan, Qui-gon and Dooku triumvirate storyline, but it will not be what you expect. **

**Another spoiler for you. (Reluctance to admit too) Sidious will soon be lost. But he will return. **

**Please Review. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I apologize for any inconvenience against the author of Attack of the Clones Novelization, and also against the Lucas Arts scripts work for the film. I do not claim them as my works, but I do apologize for using them in the wrong manner. But anyway, it is a work of fiction.**

**Chapter 19 – Attempted Assassination**

Padme Amidala paced in her room, infuriated that she had been overruled as an idle witness to her own safety. She was determined that she would soon be rid of her Jedi guards as she knew that they were wasted upon her. Of course, the senator had to take into account the fact that the Jedi were always defending the helpless, and saving the senators who needed to be saved, but Amidala was assured, with her own conviction, that she was not helpless, or needed to be saved.

"I don't need any Jedi protectors," she said almost sulkily, and yet sure of herself.

Her two handmaidens sighed for a moment. They knew that she was going to be defiant about this. Even Bail Organa had said that it might not be the best thing to do under this present time. But the chancellor had gone ahead and done it anyway.

"The Chancellor is just worried about you," one of them voiced suddenly. "You are basically his protégé anyway, so there should be noting to worry about. He is just looking out for you."

She locked eyes with her decoys, Sabe and Dorme. For a moment, she saw fear within their eyes, and saw the worry. She knew, as well as they did, that the Chancellor was merely wasting his time with this attempt to keep her safe. Indeed, she thought that the Jedi could be doing more important things than saving her, but the Chancellor knows best. And it was true, he was only looking out for her as he most likely didn't want to be rid of his most loyal senator within the Republic.

But besides that, both of them were from Naboo, and were extremely good friends. And she knew that the Chancellor was concerned that Amidala, who was queen during his tenure as senator of Naboo, needed the best protection available. She heard both her handmaidens sigh as she passed them again and again as she went over the Chancellors decision in her head. In the end, she technically had no other option.

Out in the hallway Jar Jar Binks made his way down the corridor, making his way towards the Senators apartments. He had always been considered clumsy in his day, and even now he was thought of as an idiotic fool, destined for nothing but useless work. Although he was a respect diplomat as a Nubian representative, that was all that he would achieve. He would be known for nothing great in life.

Indeed, only in his past life as a regular Gungun had he been of valued interest. He had helped save his planet from the Trade Federation. He had led the forces of the Gunguns against them in the field, and although he had acted as best as he could, he was still a fool. But it was technically the Gunguns that respected him now, as was he not only their representative in the Galactic Senate, behind Amidala, but also their leader and heroic Bombard General.

It was he, after all that had defeated the Trade Federation ten years ago, and with the on coming crisis, his experience would be invaluable.

His head bobbed up and down all the way through the halls of the small senatorial sweet. From side to side he surveyed the rooms as he went passed them. One thing that the Nubians had been given by the Supreme Chancellor was a top floor suite on the Senatorial apartments building. It was small, but grand enough for the small Nubian party. There were enough rooms in there to allow twenty-odd people, including the handmaidens and security.

He glanced at the lifts as he walked passed it, only to sop a few feet away from it. Turning he heard the small beep emanating from the top which sounded that the Jedi had arrived. Jar Jar stared at the door, waiting for them to open, and watched eagerly.

When he had heard that Obi-wan Kenobi was to be protecting the senator, he nearly jumped for joy. He liked Obi-wan among all of the Jedi, and had never felt any enmity towards him at all. Compared to that old master of his, Qui-gon, he remembered who seemed to be very severe.

He shut the memories away and focused on the now. As the door opened he came closer, and watched as two Jedi came out of the doorway. Immediately he began to jump for joy as he recognized Obi-wan. He had grown a beard recently as to hide his age, but nonetheless, it made him look elegant.

As both Jedi turned to face the hallway to the senators chambers, they came ace to face with Jar Jar. Amarhil could barely contain his strange look, somewhere between disgust and amusement as the creature came forward to greet Obi-wan.

"Obi! Obi! Obi!" it cried hard as it embraced the Jedi. It came away quickly though as he felt the bearded Jedi strain under the sheer weight of the Gungun.

"Mesa sooo smilen to seein yousa." It continued on, eyeing both of them closely.

Amarhil shook his head. What a strange creature, he thought. There were none of these creatures on his planet. Mainly all of his planet were human anyway, which was a good thing as they didn't need to worry about the different alien cultures imposing themselves upon them. It was one of the perks of being a human really. You owned half of the Republic, if not the galaxy.

Obi-wan smiled gently, and began to pat Jar Jar on his shoulder. He had not seen him in almost ten years. Although he had seen him recently in many holovision news channels, he had never seen him in person for ten years.

"It's good to see you, too, Jar Jar," Obi-wan silently concluded. He was pleased that the Gungun had gotten this far. He turned suddenly as he noticed that the gungun was making queer looks at his apprentice. As he turned and noticed his apprentices eyes he saw the look of almost shock written into them.

Obi-wan shook his head, and place an arm on his apprentices shoulder. He turned back to Jar Jar as well.

"Jar Jar," he motioned suddenly, shocking both the Gungun and the apprentice. "This here is my apprentice, Amarhil."

They both nodded to each other succinctly, never reverting their gaze.

Almost as soon as that was done, Jar Jar came forward and grabbed hold of Amarhil. He held him in a tight hug for a few moments, shaking him through the air. Letting go of him he placed him back on the ground and stood back. He eyed both of the Jedi again.

"Shesa expecting yousa," Jar Jar said in his high strange voice.

Amarhil shook his head again as he began to walk forward. He was amazed at the creature. Obi-wan had called it on his way here – a Gungun, or something to that effect. Whatever it was, it amused him greatly.

He mused to himself suddenly, and turned back to the front and made his way forward, following his master, with Jar Jar close behind. Almost immediately they had entered the senators suite and made their way into the lounge room. Before them they saw the extravagant couches and high level drapes. Altar almost began to think that he could fit his small Jedi apartment in this room about three or four times.

Senators get everything, he thought to himself as he sat down, sighing. Next to him, his master also sat. Jar Jar had gone off to find the senator while they waited.

They had no idea how long they had waited for the senator to show her face, but patience was no problem for the Jedi. It was in their code anyway. But at that exact moment she appeared as Amarhil was getting fidgety. Almost immediately Amidala noticed Amarhil, and was drawn to him, though only for a second. Amarhil felt her look, and was almost drawn away. She was beautiful, yes, but he had no interest in her.

Not like that anyway.

Both of the Jedi rose suddenly, and bowed as she came closer. They both seemed to notice that her handmaidens, Sabe and Dorme were with her, and that her commander of her security was with her as well. Amarhil grunted silently, and to himself but noticed that his master's gaze was drawn away to one of the handmaidens. He smiled sheepishly for a moment. Then he thought to himself. It would never happen. His master was not like that at all.

His thoughts were broken all of a sudden but a light hearted sounding voice. "It is good to see you again, Master Obi-wan."

He felt his master's shock. He had never thought that his master would cringe like that, or expect that at all. There she is, Amarhil's mind went buzzing. Obi-wan and a handmaiden. Although he wouldn't do it. He is too orthodox a Jedi for that.

"M'lady," Obi-wan cringed slightly, but said it in a cheerful tone. he then turned to the main lady before him.

He nodded thoughtfully towards her, and beamed a smile. "It's a pleasure to see you again, M'Lady."

The senator walked over and took the Jedi Master's hands into her own. She beamed back at him. Amarhil rolled his eyes and sighed for a moment. it may have been customary, but it was relatively useless.

"It has been far too long Master Kenobi," she said, her voice almost singing. "I'm so glad our paths have crossed again...and I am pleased that you are here."

Behind her one of the handmaidens coughed. Amarhil put his head into his hands for a moment and shook his head. He quickly put it back into the air and held it high. He didn't miss the small break in her voice making reassert her words. She didn't want them here. But then again, she had no authority past the Chancellor. And besides that, the Jedi Council would have had its reasons.

Obi-wan turned suddenly, his eyes sharp. He had obviously felt the small maneuver that Amarhil had just done. The apprentice merely sighed and came forward.

He put on his best fake smile. "I'm pleased to meet you, m'lady." He said, bowing his head in a forward manner.

The senator eyed him for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Amarhil I assume?" she said almost to herself, though out loud in a curious way. She began to smile. "I'm glad to have finally met you as well. And please, call me Padme."

"If it pleases you senat…" he paused, "If it pleases you Padme."

Obi-wan shot a look between the two. He almost had bad thoughts about them being so close together. But they were both smiling. He scanned his apprentices mind for the moment and noticed that he had nothing of the sort of intentions in mind. Although he was screaming for help.

He grunted almost immediately, clearing his throat. In doing so he drew away their gazes towards them. "Shall we get down to business, m'lady?" he asked in an incurious manner. " I know that you have reserves about our being here but I assure you that our presence will be invisible."

"I am glad to hear that, Master Jedi," the commander of the guards came forward, and roughly shook Obi-wans hand. Obi-wan eyed him for a moment. The guard nodded almost simultaneously. "I'm Captain Typho, head of the Senators security service."

Obi-wan nodded succinctly as he hear the commander continue. "I'm very grateful you're here, Master Kenobi. The situation is more dangerous than the Senator will admit."

"Really?" he asked in his incurious manner once more.

"I don't need more security," she stated calmly.

"Then what do you need, m'lady?"

"I need answers," she firmly stated. "I want to know who is trying to kill me."

"That's a hell of a long list," Amarhil broke in, earning a look from everyone in the room. He thought that he had better explain himself. He cleared his throat and began to talk. "Well, my master, my lady, you have a number of enemies in the Senate."

"They wouldn't dare do such a thing."

"Well," Amarhil was taken aback. "Then there is the Trade Federation to consider."

There was silence for a moment, but she quickly brushed it aside. "They wouldn't dare do such a thing either. They wouldn't want to stoop that low."

"But now?"

"Now what?"

"Now would they stoop that low?"

There was another small silence. Obi-wan brushed it aside this time.

"That is enough, my apprentice," he said sharply. He pointed a small look in his direction, frowning. He reared back towards the senator. "My apologies, senator, my apprentice forgets himself sometimes. But you must understand that we're here to protect you Senator, not  
to start an investigation."

"Why?" Amarhil voiced.

"Why what?"

"Why no investigation?" he said again. "It's what the Jedi mainly do, isn't it? Investigation is implied in our mandate."

"We will not exceed our orders, my young Padawan learner!" Obi-wan said firmly, getting his attention. "It may be the job of the Jedi to investigate such things, but it is not our job today. We are here to protect, not investigate."

"We will do exactly as the Council has instructed," Obi-wan firmly replied once more, getting his apprentices attention. "You still have much to learn, young one. And that includes learning of your place."

"Yes, master." Amarhil sighed in defeat. He stared at Amidala for a moment. "I am sorry for my attitude my lady."

She merely nodded, and then proceeded to get up and leave.

Behind her Captain Typho smiled. The Jedi was a bold one. Waiting until the senator was gone, he stared back tat the Jedi. "Well, I know I feel a lot better having you here," he handed Obi-wan a small holo-projector. There is a control centre downstairs. I will mainly be there during the remaining nights, but I shall have an officer situated on every floor."

"How many floors are there?" Obi-wan asked.

"Three."

"I see," Obi-wan sighed, staring back at the commander. He opened his mouth suddenly and asked him another question.

* * *

The two bounty hunters stood side by side in perfect formation. They stood before a number of illuminated posters and large lights, showing their presence to the world, though no one paid any attention to them at all.

The older one sighed in disgust as his partner, and part apprentice came back empty handed. He was not pleased at all, and neither was his employer going to be.

"But I hit the ship…" the second explained, though it fell on deaf ears as the first held up his hands.

"Yes, you did," the first snarled in disgust, though there was a hint of personal achievement in his voice. "But it was a decoy that she used. If that didn't even fool you then what good are you? You should have known that she was going to use a decoy."

"But I didn't know." The second apologetically called to him.

"Obviously."

There was a moment of silence between them, where neither of them spoke. There was an enmity rising from the first. The first was the first to break the silence. "We'll have to try something more subtle this time, Zam," he started, "My client is getting impatient."

He placed his hands on his armour and then picked them off. In the light it was revealed as something of a cylindrical object, but nothing more. Zam stared at her partner, seemingly lost. The first gave her the cylindrical tube and placed it in her hands.

"Take these," he sighed, warning her. "But be careful, they're very poisonous."

She stared at the tube for a moment, aware that there was contained within it a number of small, but lengthy creatures. She nodded silently, and then turned to leave, only to stop suddenly.

"There can be no mistakes this time, Zam." The older figure ordered, warning her. "There have been too many already."

* * *

It was quiet, too quiet to be exact.

Amarhil had been probing the outside of the building for the past hour now, watching all sides with intent and great interest. He would then venture inside and make his way back down the hall, and there watch silently as his charge slept. He would watch her for a moment and then disappear once more to observe the building.

He had been doing that for so long now that he was glad that there was a couch within the small sitting are, and promptly went over to it and sat, tipping his head back against the head rest. For a moment he thought about Padme and his reaction to each other, and how it had sparked interest from almost everyone. Even if it didn't mean anything for him, it sure did for her, and she seemed to care about him all of a sudden. He sighed to himself and shook his head. He was disgusted by his attitude, but it didn't seem to worry him that much.

He breathed in for a moment, and laid his head back. Within a moment he just lay down, back onto the couch and closed his eyes, determined not to worry about anything anymore, flushing everything out of his mind.

Almost immediately, someone entered the room, forcing him to sit upright and stand. He faced the door, seeing his mentor come in and approach him. He had a smug look on his face that could barely be seen through the unshaven beard that he had.

Obi-wan popped his eyebrows up in the air. "Taking a break, my apprentice?" he asked in a humorous and smug manner.

Amarhil almost felt abashed. "No master." he replied evenly, shaking his head.

Obi-wan breathed in and nodded. He stared down at the small holo-projector that he held in his hand, flipping through the suites cameras. He sighed suddenly. "Captain Typho has more than enough men downstairs. So no assassin will, or would dare try that way."

He stared at his apprentice with a half humorous look etched into his face. The other half being a determined stare. "Besides your – sleeping," he asked curiously earning a narrowed look from his apprentice. "Has there been any activity up here?"

His apprentice shook his head. "Nothing." He stated flatly, trying to avoid his embarrassing moment before. "It has been quiet. Too quiet if you ask me."

Obi-wan's eyebrows suddenly rose, though slowly. "Too quiet?"

"Yes master." Amarhil replied with enthusiasm. "It has been as quiet as a tomb. There has been nothing, not even a small noise. I don't like just waiting here for something to happen to her. Regardless of how she made us feel before."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Amarhil shrugged. "You can feel it as well as I. our presence here is regarded as nothing but a nuisance towards her." He sighed ignorantly, not wanting to actually be here. "She doesn't want our help. Perhaps it would be better if we left her to be."

Obi-wan folded his arms indignantly. Eyeing his apprentice curiously, with his eyebrows arched he wondered what he actually meant. Did he actually want her to die? Shaking his head he followed through.

"Amarhil, you're focusing on the negative," he said as he drew up straightly. "Be mindful of your thoughts. She was pleased to see us, and it may have been true that she does not want us here, but she does value our help."

He approached his apprentice, and placed an arm on his shoulder. "I have no idea why you wish her to suffer, but I will find out soon. Focus in on the now, Amarhil. We are assigned to protect the senator, and we shall carry through with our mission." He paused and looked indignantly at his apprentice. "Now let's check the security here."

"Yes, my master." Amarhil sighed, but was soundly interrupted.

"What's going on?" he asked in a powerfully surprised and disgusted way. He was almost shocked.

"Master?"

"She's covered the cameras."

"Yes."

"So what's going on?"

Amarhil shrugged suddenly. "She covered the cameras as I don't think she liked me – watching her."

"And you let her?" Obi-wan huffed. "What is she thinking? Is she seriously trying to get herself killed?"

Amarhil shrugged once more, not caring what really happened to her in some ways. He breathed in suddenly. "She programmed Artoo to warn us if there's an intruder."

"She programmed a droid to do what?"

* * *

Far away, the second bounty hunter, by the name of Zam Wesell stood before a small assassin droid high within the Coruscanti skyline. Carefully she placed the cylindrical tube within the droid, and began to program it to attack the senator.

As she pushed in the buttons, she felt as if she was being watched. Her conclusions were indeed right for as she kept going she heard a number of small footsteps behind her, but kept going as if she didn't hears them.

The man though who came up behind her knew that she knew that he was here, and waited for her to turn. Nodding to himself he wriggled his right arm which bore out a small silver cylindrical object. He had been given this as a gift by a powerful man who had said that it released a powerful beam of light against you opponent. The dark figure only had several days training on it, but he was known to be good. It would do the job of killing her, just as it had done many in the past.

Zam though felt as if she was being stalked, and placed her hand on her blaster. She quickly turned and fired, missing the man by many feet. He ignited his saber just as quickly though, and rammed it through the woman, causing her to collapse at his feet. From the body he stared at the droid, and then promptly dispatched it as well. He had no need of this type of thing to mar what he was hired to do.

As the droid fell to pieces, the man stared at the body below him, and then placed the small saber within her breeches, hiding it amongst the clothing. He nodded to himself, and then promptly turned and walked towards the speeder.

She had just outlived her usefulness as a bounty hunter. For the man, to explain her, it seems that fat intervened on his behalf, and removed her out of his way.

He smiled as he entered the small ship. Starting up the engine he readied it to head into the traffic near him.

Silently he said to himself what his employer had always said. "Anything that isn't deemed useful, isn't necessary."

* * *

Padme still lay asleep in her bed, oblivious to what was happening out in the hall adjacent to her room. She lay motionless, besides the intermittent breathing, in and out, that moved her body. It was really the only thing that proved that she was alive. In the corner of her room, Artoo, the small little astro-droid, lay dormant, though alerted to anything that entered her room.

Outside of her room though, within the adjacent room, Obi-wan was yelling at the top of his voice.

"She programmed a droid to do what?"

Amarhil shrugged once more, acting innocently. "She programmed Artoo to warn us if there's an intruder."

Obi-wan mouth was agape. He couldn't believe this. She was literally setting herself up. If only Artoo was in the room, programmed to alert if there was an intruder within the room, then there was definitely something wrong with that. He was angry that she would dare try a thing such as this.

"There are many other ways to kill a senator, my young padawan," Obi-wan chided him. "Even if you are using her as bait…"

"It was her idea." Amarhil claimed quickly in his defence.

"And you let her succumb over you," Obi-wan started, disappointed that his apprentice would be stung in such a way by a politician. He shook his head slowly, though in an angered state. Amarhil was becoming worried, but kept his mouth shut as his master continued. "Your senses should have been better attuned to what she was planning, as should your reasoning have been. She is setting up for her own death now. Anyone could just enter and kill her."

"I know, but we also want to catch this assassin," Amarhil began to reason. "Don't we, Master?"

Obi-wan hung his mouth open. He was literally shocked. "First you hate her and want her to die, and now you want her to live so that we can capture this assassin? What has gotten into you my apprentice?"

--

Unknown to them, the man parked his small ship outside of the main window of the bedroom of the senator. The man stared through the window and into the room, carefully surveying the surroundings. All he could see was the senator lying asleep, and a small Astro-droid in the corner. He smiled as he thought of what he had to do. He had been given a job to do, and yet, surprisingly it didn't require killing.

He thought about that for a moment. All he had been told to do was deter everyone else from getting to her, and then take their place. But he had been told not to kill the senator. In the end it didn't really matter as he was paid enough to do his job, and with that, he had been given an order, and it was his duty to follow it.

Mainly, what he had been told to do was 'attack' the senator, and then proceed to get caught and infiltrate the Jedi Temple. That was what he had to do, but why he had no idea.

He sighed to himself, and then nodded. He had to do this. There was no choice in the matter.

Coming closer to the window he proceeded to place a small number of suction bombs on the window. _'This ought to scare her,'_ he thought as he did it. He placed them on, one by one, as carefully as he could. They were unique among all explosives as they stuck and, unfortunately didn't come off.

He breathed in carefully once more, and placed himself within a small distance away from the explosive range. He smiled, though weakly as he pressed the trigger.

--

Outside in the corridor all of a sudden the two Jedi stiffened. It was an instant thing, and came almost immediately. They stare in complete shock with each other, and then nod. They had both sensed it, and had to save her.

'_There was more than one way to kill a senator,'_ Obi-wan immediately thought as he rushed around the corner, entering the senator's room.

But even to his own surprise as he entered the room, he was thrown backwards. He landed hard on his back as the window exploded, rocking the entire building, and shattering glass all over the room. Padme woke up and screamed, but she had cover from Amarhil who covered her body with his own.

It took a moment to recover, but both of the Jedi were still saved by their quick wit. Obi-wan stood up as he heard the glass break under the heavy feet of soled shoes. Amarhil on the other hand was still covering his charge, much to the chagrin of the senator. Amarhil turned his head swiftly, only to be faced by a red lightsaber focused in on his throat. Behind him, Padme gasped in shock as she saw the man place the saber closer to Amarhil's neck, almost cutting him. The Jedi though cringed in pain as he felt the burning sensation.

What the attacker forgot about in the moment was that Obi-wan stood near him, pointing his own lit saber at the man's chest. Shaking his head, he glanced at Obi-wan and smiled thinly, trying to provoke him and act overconfidently.

Within seconds he had parried a stroke against Obi-wan, who deflected the blow easily. He had expected it, that Obi-wan would attempt to strike back at him, and fought on for a few more seconds before he was disarmed by Obi-wan, and thrown to the ground by Amarhil. He cringed in pain this time as the glass delved into his back. But he got the annoying young Jedi off of him within a moment, wrestling with him.

He stood up though, only to be knocked back on his face by Obi-wan who threw his fist at his face. It was at this moment that Amarhil noticed that Obi-wan had shards of glass sticking, and protruding out of his face. Obi-wan almost screamed as his fist hit the mans face, but cringed as he began to rub into it.

Almost as soon as the man was on the ground the security came in, half heading towards the senator others towards the Jedi. Some of them made their way towards the attacker whilst others checked on Obi-wan and Amarhil.

"It's a job well done then," one voice aid from behind Obi-wan.

The Jedi turned swiftly, looking at the man with narrowed eyes, eyes that were heating up very slowly.

* * *

It was the next day already and Padme was already complaining. She had just survived an assassination attempt, and was angered that she couldn't even see her attacker.

"Why can't I see him?" she asked once more, knowing that it was in vain.

He is being interrogated by the Jedi Council at this moment, m'lady," Amarhil broke in, "and later he is to be interrogated by the Chancellor's men."

"That still doesn't explain why I can't see him." she added, get more frustrated.

Typho interjected suddenly. "M'Lady, you were just attacked last night. You are overreacting. It wouldn't do you good to see him. The Jedi can conduct their own investigation and you will have the results of why they attacked you soon enough."

"He Attacked Me," she said in a vigorous and straightforward tone. "I have a right to see him."

"Obviously the Jedi believe that you don't."

"Actually it was the Chancellor who said that you couldn't." Obi-wan interjected this time, narrowing his face. "He gave the order that you were not to see him under any circumstances."

She just merely stared at the Jedi, then, frustrated and angered, she turned and left the small room, heading into her office.

* * *

_Jedi Council Chambers _

The chambers were silent. All of the twelve council men sat in their chairs, watching the-would-be assassin stand in the middle of the floor. It was as if he was being surveyed, which he knew that it was a type of what was happening, but he was, as of this moment, calm and resilient. He stood upright and firm, making eye contact with the other Jedi, and watching them as they were watching him.

His eyes suddenly drifted, slowly, over the bodies of Ki-adi-Mundi and Mace Windu before settling over the small shape of the green Jedi Master. Yoda had closed his eyes a moment ago, just after the interrogation had started. He was obviously searching the mans mind for any inconsistencies.

There was a small sigh all of a sudden. "Where come from, did you?" the voice asked him.

The man nodded his head, aware that it was Yoda asking. Before he answered though he had been told by his employer to answer everything from his point of view. He was to tell the council everything, but he had to add in lies and deceptions among the truth. In a way, it was a manner of hope so that they would be deceived.

He breathed in carefully. "I come from Tatooine." He answered flatly. "And my name is Edern."

"A moisture farmer, are you?" Yoda asked in his inquiring voice.

"Yes."

"Came here how, did you?"

"By ship."

"Who hired you to assassinate senator Amidala?" Ki-adi voiced, concerned all of a sudden. His two minds thought deeply for a moment, going over all of the possibilities.

Edern smiled. "I was hired by a man who went by the name of Vader," he sighed, knowing what his employer wanted him to do. "He asked me to do a job for him, as I was of renown in the Arkanis sector."

He paused for a moment, aware that the Jedi were listening intently. So he continued. "The man told me that I have to 'attempt, but fail' to assassinate Senator Amidala. But to do this I would have to go through intense training on another planet, which he humbly gave me the location of…"

"And where was this planet?"

Edern broke off all of a sudden. He scanned his memory quickly, trying to remember the place exactly where he had to go. "Korinaa," he started, "Korriban? Something like that I believe."

There was a small gasp in the room after he had said that. He noticed it and began to retell what planet it was, just to see their reaction. "Korriban. I am pretty sure that it was Korriban." He began to nod, noticing the Jedi stiffen solemnly.

"It seemed that I had to go through a number of training processes. I was taught how to conceal some of my thoughts whilst learning how to train with a lightsaber." He nodded forward at the saber that was at Mace's hand. "It was relatively weak though, but I did succeed at a number of forms, though only in the beginning stages. Apart from this though I was—successful in a number of the bounty hunter arts."

Many of the Jedi nodded, seeming to take everything in stride. Mace though eyed the young man for a moment, narrowing them in anticipation. He stared down at the saber and stroked it, as if studying it. Nodding to himself he stared back at Edern.

"What can you tell us about this… Vader character?" he asked with a sneer in his voice.

Edern stared at him for the moment and nodded almost immediately.

"Vader is, I think, a complicated character." He started all of a sudden, knowing that he would have to tell all. "He has a number of—designs on this galaxy, and has a personal vendetta against the Jedi."

He noticed all of a sudden that this interested them further, many of them cocking their heads. Edern continued, nodding. "What he told me was that he used to be a Jedi, but he became so disillusioned with the Order and its ideals that he left the Order to begin his own life. Apparently he had a family while he was in the order, as far as I have been told, and it seems that the Jedi were responsible for their deaths."

"Perhaps he is one of the Lost Twenty," Ki-adi cut in, receiving nods of assertion from everyone else.

"Impossible," Even Piell spoke out all of a sudden. "There have been no Jedi leaving the order willingly since Jedi Masters Dooku and Qui-gon have left."

"And for all we know they have both joined the dark," Saesee Tiin interrupted. "As we know that 'Count' Dooku has."

'_You do know, m'Lady, that Count Dooku was once a Jedi. He couldn't assassinate anyone.. Assassination is not in his character.'_

Yoda thought carefully and nodded succinctly. "Lost Twenty he cannot be." He sighed to himself. "Jedi who has left the order, perhaps."

"What else do you know of this…Vader?" Mace asked.

Edern swallowed. "I know that he calls himself a Sith Lord, though I have no idea what that is. And he does seem to be extremely powerful, claiming that he could – alone destroy the Jedi Temple, and the Order."

"Bold, he is," Yoda summarized as he faced Ki-adi, locking gazes with him. "Careful we must tread." He turned and faced Edern eventually.

"More information, we must have." He ordered. "You must unlearn what you have learned. Speak all that you know, you will."

* * *

COMPLETED THIS CHAPTER

Many more to go.

Please Review.


	20. Chapter 20

_Disclaimer:_ I claim the Battlestars for myself, and the Terrus Alliance as it was my idea to bring them into this fic.

The Terrus Alliance itself gets wiped out not long after the end of this fic anyway, so it is only a small pre-Republic culture before it gets absorbed by the Empire.

**Chapter 20 – Beginning**

The small fleet of Terrus Alliance ships hovered within the darkness of space. Its powerful Battlestars dwarfed the small ships that were escorting them to their rendezvous point with their commanding ship.

The commanding ship was much like the other ships of the fleet, straight, streamlined and bulbous. There was an articulate shape to them. Only what was different was that it was almost twice as large, and more heavily armoured. Its command bridge was much like that of a star destroyer, except placed in a lengthwise position, sitting on the flattest part of the ship.

Between all of these ships there were small fighters streaming from the bowels of the hangars, flowing over the view of the ship. To the commander of the fleet they looked much like a mixture of unattractive fighters. Triangular and swift, with fins daunting the sides of the craft. They reminded him solemnly of the TIE fighters of the Empire, and perhaps, the Jedi fighters of the old Republic. They were reminiscent of some things, but not of others. But beyond what he had remembered of his old days as a Jedi Knight, and soon to be Sith Lord, there was nothing of importance.

He took in a short breath, and then sighed; hoping hat what he was doing was the right thing. He had actually questioned his master if this was the correct thing to do, but then he had been given no reply other than to obey orders, and assurances that he was correct.

Personally he thought that Revan had been wrong to place his trust in the Alliance. Although they were humans, and were aligned on the same ideas as the Sith Lords that had negotiated with them, and who were now leading them. They were so below the standards of the Republic, as they hadn't developed as far as them, and were not, to begin with, within the same sphere of influence as the rest of the Galaxy.

To begin with, like the Empire that they remembered, with the High Human culture under Palpatine, these people believed that only humans were the dominant species in the Galaxy, and all others were to be purged from existence. They were, truth be told, almost radical in their ideas against non-humans. They didn't even use them as slaves, and executed them every time they came upon them.

It was disgusting, but it was what their leader preached to the Alliance, and they had followed his example.

The Darkman nodded silently, tilting his head as thoughts came through his mind. He had to follow the orders that he had been given. However much he hated the Terrens for what they did, and how they achieved their ends, it didn't matter.

He had no choice in the matter.

His thoughts though didn't distract him though for even as he thought of the Terrens he could feel the billowing presence of the man beside him. Turning swiftly he came face to face with the aged and experienced commander of the Alliance's fleet.

He studied him for a moment, noting his hairline fractures and graying hair. He saw the wrinkles and the whiskers. Making his way to the man's eyes he saw the distinct look of fear and anticipation that remained within him. Anticipation to begin his new mission, and fear -- as he was fearful of his commanding officer.

The commander took in a deep breath before assuring himself of the answer that he was sure to get.

"Where to, my lord?" he asked in a silent, but grateful manner.

Vader narrowed his eyes for a moment before continuing. He swiftly turned back to face the outer limits of the fleet, staring into the abyss of space.

"To Sluis Van." He echoed.

The commander nodded and turned back to face the command crew, giving them the same order that he had just been given.

* * *

The Chancellor sat behind his desk in an unnerving manner, almost solidifying the Jedi Masters in their places. His eyes were like glass, as if pale and stiff, watching and yet unblinking, and even perhaps thinking of what he had been told. His gaze was still, not even moving in any way except in silence. 

The Jedi remained still as well. After all, hearing about his own Senator from Naboo basically being killed by an unknown man who claims to have been taught by the Sith was partly unnerving.

They knew that he had been told, or had at least heard about the Sith before, and their rivalry with the Jedi Order that dated back almost a thousand years, if not more. They rightly assumed that the Chancellor was learned about this thematic experience, but didn't know how much he knew, or how deep he had been immersed in the teachings.

They saw him nod all of a sudden, and turn his gaze against the small diminutive Jedi before him. "And do you believe him?" he asked in his quiet and incurious and querying tone. The Chancellor raised an eyebrow almost as he said it. "Is he even to be trusted?"

"Hard to say, it is." Yoda replied in the ominous and backward way that he usually did. He nodded in a solemn way, bowing his head and losing his eyes. "Say one thing, and believe another. Misleading it is."

"If the Sith returned they have," he started, wriggling in his position on the chair and bringing his head up to stare directly at the Chancellor. "dire straits we are in if they have. Desperate our position will have become."

"Come now Master Yoda," Palpatine began. "The Sith have meant to have been destroyed almost a millennia ago. How is it possible that they have returned without you knowing?"

Mace noticed how the Chancellors eyes seemed to perch suddenly. He turned to face Master Yoda for a moment before turning again to the Chancellor.

"We thought that ten years ago, and we lost a number of Jedi because of it."

"Indeed you did," Palpatine mused, remembering that the Jedi lost not only their leading members, such as Qui-gon Jinn and Count Dooku, but also a young boy who was thought to be the Jedi 'Chosen One'.

Palpatine smiled thinly as he thought of that for a moment. A young boy in the Outer Rim who was thought of as the 'Chosen One' of Jedi lore. Curious though as to that he was found by Qui-gon Jinn, and even to that effect he was still considering the boy to be the 'Chosen One', even though he had long since disappeared and was presumed dead. And that was ten years ago, and even now Qui-gon still believed it.

The Chancellor thought hard for a moment. He could use those beliefs that Qui-gon had to immerse him within the Dark Side. He would be able to use Qui-gon as an instrument, but only until he had Obi-wan within his grasp, and then he would dispose of him. It was hard to see it now, but the Jedi had almost lost three generations of Jedi to the Sith, and of those Jedi, only one was immersed within the Dark Side. He was, unfortunately, not yet finished perfecting Qui-gon, and he had yet to begin on Obi-wan.

But soon both of them would be him.

Palpatine nodded to him self all of a sudden, noticing that he had trailed off into a deep thought, and was earning a curious glance from the Jedi. Clearing his throat and nodding he stared at their faces.

"How can you be sure that the Sith have indeed returned?" he mused, cunningly. "and if they have, are they indeed a deeper and darker threat than you presume."

"They are indeed a threat, your lordship." Mace supplied in a straightforward way.

Palpatine eyed him curiously. He thought hard for a moment, and then began to rub his metallic arm, drawing a queer glance from Mace and the other Jedi.

"Ten years ago you assumed that there were only two Sith lords," Palpatine started in a delicate tone, bringing the words out slowly, "and yet, as we have seen, I have been attacked by three individual Sith at least twice. Is it possible that they have grown even stronger in the past few years that we are unable to comprehend their numbers?"

"Possible it is," Yoda returned in an even voice. "Always two we thought there were. A Master, and an Apprentice." He closed himself off for a moment before continuing. "Dangerous it is if we do not know who, or how many the Sith are, if replenished in strength they have."

"What can this… Edern," the Chancellor started, "tell you about their numbers?"

"Nothing that we can yet discern." Yoda replied.

"And if he is lying?"

"Shield his thoughts, he cannot," Yoda silenced him with his speech. "Read his mind, we can. Telling the truth, he is."

"But was he not trained by the Sith?" Palpatine asked in a curious tone, bringing the discussion to a new height.

"So he says," Mace interrupted. "But what he says, and what he wants us to believe are two different things."

Palpatine sighed. The Jedi were always repetitive. Yoda had said that exact same thing almost a few minutes ago. He shook his head.

"I would like to see him." Palpatine inserted, earning a queer look from the Jedi.

"Why, my lord?" Ki-adi asked.

"He attacked one of my senators," he started. "and not only that, but Senator Padmé Amidala is my protégé and is my representative from Naboo. And there have been many threats on her recently."

"That is true but…" the Jedi started but was cut off.

Palpatine continued, his tone more severe and ordered. "She is a senator from the Republic, and her concern is my responsibility. Besides," he paused and stared at the Jedi carefully, making eye contact with each of them. "perhaps I can get something out of him that you cannot."

The Jedi all saw him smile in a childish, but yet sickening and loathing way. They all began to narrow their eyes at him, and were about to protest when Palpatine fired back at them, getting in early.

"There is no debate on this subject, my lords," he began in a proud tone, as if triumphant. The Jedi didn't seem to miss it. "I, as Chancellor of the Republic, am ordering that I be allowed to see the prisoner."

There was deepening silence for a moment.

"…"

"Have him, you shall, Chancellor." Yoda mused at him, holding up his hand. He nodded for a moment, but narrowed his eyes at the Chancellor.

* * *

There was nothing but silence in the Chancellor office later that afternoon. It was a cold and deadly silence, almost one that would freeze your blood, if not make your skin crawl. Although it was filled with many people, each one who warmed up the room with their enigmatic type characters, all of which were warm and would counter the coldness, they were at a loss. 

To them, especially to Bail Organa, it seemed that the coldness was closing around the Chancellor. Indeed he had reason to distrust the man, with all of his amendments to the Constitution and the seemingly unlimited power that seemed to run from the man. It had to be his unquestioningly charismatic nature that told him that the Chancellor was a man with secondary objectives, and seemed to delight in making people guess what his motives were.

They had all carefully been discussing the situation with the Separatists and the Military Creation Act had been brought up, and then there seemed to be nothing but silence. Palpatine though remained impassive, reading all the others mind carefully. He scanned their faces, reading Amidala's, Organa's and Aks, Moe. They seemed to be the easiest to read, but as he made his way closer to the Rodian, Havriso Looruya, and then to Orn Free Taa, who seemed to be brewing with thoughts, they were harder to read.

He narrowed his eyes in confusion, but nudged them all, carefully, to be the first to speak out against the act.

For some reason, he was always wary of Bail. Somehow he knew that this man was going to be his biggest opponent, and even more so that he seemed to be just against Palpatine. he read Bail's mind carefully, watching as the thoughts of the Republic, and the Chancellorship just float away. Then there was the Bill, and even more so, the fact that there was power within that bill, and if it went the wrong way there would be a crisis.

Palpatine smiled cunningly, but hid it just as swiftly to avoid them seeing him do so. He nudged Bail forward, making him be the first to speak.

Bail summarily cleared his throat. There seemed to be something clicking in his mind, and then there were thoughts of power, and the Chancellors power. Taking in a deep breath he stared at the Chancellor.

"This act is nothing more than an infringement," Bail started, making his deep voice sound proud and enlightening. "It is an infringement on the rights of the citizens of the Republic. If you approve of this bill, you will lose your powerbase."

Palpatine stared at the man cautiously. He had no idea that Bail would have been that clear on the subject. Perhaps he was a bit too aggressive in giving the man a nudge such as this. Even as he thought of his words. Losing his powerbase was not apart of them, and he doubted that he would. He continued staring at him though in a disenchanted way.

Bail caught the look on the Chancellors face, and saw the eyebrows perk up suddenly. He nodded to himself before he continued. "We were created by you to protect the democracy of the Republic and to preserve…"

"Yes I know," Palpatine cut him off sternly, his face was almost unreadable, "as you said, I created you didn't I?"

Bail nodded solemnly. Behind him a number of other senators also began to nod, rocking their heads back and forth. They seemed wary though.

"Besides," Palpatine continued, cutting Bail off before he was about to speak. He added something in a questioning tone. "If I do lose my powerbase, what do you think could happen?" he searched each of their faces, finding them blank. All of the Loyalist Committee were incredibly bright but found themselves almost at a loss all of the time.

He often wondered why they had been created.

Palpatine smiled again. He knew exactly why he had created the Loyalist Committee. In a way it was just out of pure spite. He had the senate convinced that he was against the creation of the Creation Act, and by creating this committee he had only enhanced their belief. But besides this though, all of the senators within the Loyalist party were actually vocal, or not, opponents of how Palpatine governed the Republic, and the constraints he was placing on the people.

If you could see it, you would see that the Chancellor had put both Amidala and Organa together. They only had security forces on their planets, not an army. In a way, they were both powerful and influential planets within the Republic, but Alderaan was more so against Palpatine than Amidala and Naboo were.

The Chancellor continued to smile, though thinly. "As far as I can see, all of you are too concerned with my well being than with your own."

They all look askance at one another suddenly. Was that a threat? Did the Chancellor just threaten them? Their thoughts were interrupted once more by the Chancellor continuing in his triumphant tone.

"Besides, a majority of the senate wants this – bill, as you say, to be passed to secure our defence…"

"But it will only incite further outbreaks," Padme interrupted him, ascertaining her will within the agenda. "The Military Creation Act is a direct breech of the constitution that has effectively placed you in command of the Republic. "I haven't worked for a year to defeat the Military Creation Act..."

_'Sometimes we must let go of our pride and do what is requested of us,' _Palpatine thought suddenly.

He countered her quickly. "I only have to adhere to the constitution, my friends," he paused and searched their faces. Smiling again he continued. "The constitution didn't choose me – the senators did. The people did. They trust my judgment. I can only make amendments to the constitution, and they have to be in the sole preservation of the Republic, which is what this war is all about."

He nodded to himself. He had done the right thing in saying that. But even as he did so he could tell that Bail was going to say something. He rolled his eyes as Bail began to talk.

Bail's voice almost went on deaf ears. Palpatine didn't seem to care what he had to say. The Senator of Alderaan added in a pleading tone. "But there still has to be more of a diplomatic way about things – couldn't we continue with our talks?

"We have been doing that for the past few months, and it has gotten us nowhere!" Orn Free Taa boomed in his deep and menacing voice.

"Indeed, I think that the talks have failed." Aks Moe supplied in his partners defence, agreeing with him.

Palpatine stared between then two non-humans. They were followers of Palpatine, and they believed that he could do a good job. They were, in fact, his biggest supporters. But as his eyes fell on Bail he could tell that he still had more up his sleeve and would not yet accept defeat.

"There is still hope that communication can succeed where…" he started, but was cut off.

"Communication?" Aks Moe supplied. He was almost shocked. Hadn't bail been listening. Or did he never listen that the talks had failed comprehensively.

"Communication?" he echoed once more, getting Bail's attention. He pointed his finger at the man as he spoke. "All communication has failed Senator Organa. I suggest that you remember that." He stared at Palpatine, and nodded in his direction. He received a small nod in return. He faced Bail again, and added sternly. "The only communication that we can now give is at the end of a blaster. Then and only then can we have a resolution to the problem."

"Are you advocating war over peace?" Pamde asked in her quiet but solidifying tone.

"Are you advocating peace over war?" the Gree paused suddenly. "All is fair in love and war, your grace."

For a moment there was another deathly silence, which echoed around the room in a cautious manner. Palpatine nodded, he could see that the Loyalist Committee was falling apart, and was beginning to fracture into separate groups. They were either his supporters, like Aks Moe and Orn Free Taa; or they were his enemies, like Padme Amidala and Organa. He stared at the Rodian for a moment.

He seemed to be in the middle, Palpatine thought carefully. He would have to choose a side soon.

Palpatine opened his mouth, "One thing on the talks, your lordships," he stared at each of them in turn. He smiled, as if baiting them to come against them. "Do you even know where the Separatists are?"

Bail was about to speak, but closed his mouth. He quickly looked down to the floor. Next to him Amidala and the Rodian stared at each other and looked away. But the others merely remained focused on the Chancellor.

In all though, there was no answer.

"Then we have our ultimatum then, don't we." The Chancellor sufficed in a victorious tone.

"But taking is surely the best way…"

"We're at war, Senator," he stated bluntly, "the time for talking is over."

"We are not at war yet Chancellor…" Bail returned in an even and aggressive tone, but was cut off as a man entered the room.

Whisking past them quickly, all of the senators saw a man appear at the Chancellors side. They saw him whisper something in Palpatine's ear, making his face stiffen and become reserved. Padme and Bail watched as the man spoke silently. They had seen him only a few times around the Senate before. Sometimes he would meet after the usual senatorial meetings.

Narrowing their eyes they studied his face, and noted the blank, but grave expression that was etched upon it. They both thought that they knew who it was, but they didn't know anything. They knew nothing of who he was or where he came from. He was just another of the Chancellors implements that had a place in the society.

Immediately the Chancellors face became more severs and graver. He began to nod as the other senators looked on in confusion, if not anticipation. Amidala screwed up her face for the coming blow.

The Chancellor stood up and prepared himself to leave. Gulping slowly he faced the other senators in his office. He seemed to swallow hard.

"It appears," he stated carefully, "that the Terrus Alliance has begun to attack the shipyards at Sluis Van." He stared at Organa, remaining there for a moment. He turned swiftly to Padme almost immediately. He took in a deep breathe as he attempted to sound remorseful. "It appears that war has been declared."

* * *

**There will be a more thorough explanation on the Terrus Alliance in the later Chapters. **

**Please Review. **


	21. Chapter 21

Sorry for the long time that I was away people, but I have been busy with my social life and my assignments for University/College, or whatever you want to call it. Doing a history/Philosophy course is extremely hard, and I am in need of a serious break.

Oh well, that doesn't seem to matter anymore as I am officially on holidays for the next five weeks, and I am free to write up more of these chapters for you. I do want to keep in your minds that this story is going to be extremely long, so I will be placing as many chapters on this site as I can to keep you going for a while. I will warn you that it will get confusing after a while, but you should understand it.

It does get better as well, and I have just had a recap, one thing that I did notice about it is that there are lots of lightsaber on lightsaber fight scenes within this story, and I am so screwed for writing those parts, as I am not sure how I am going to bring up new skills and techniques to make it extremely exciting. Oh well, I am sure that it will all come around soon.

Anyway, enjoy, and, as always, Please _**REVIEW**_.

* * *

**Chapter 21 – The Oncoming Tide**

The man made his way carefully down the stairs of the Jedi Temple, stepping lively down each step, as if in a synthetic rhythm, one step at a time. There was a huge beaming smile on his face, etching up almost to his ears. It was large and wide. For some reason, he seemed proud, as if assured that he had done the right thing. It was a feeling that he had, just a fleeting thought that he had done right.

He paused for a moment at the stairs, pausing in his stride, his smile fading. The feeling was nagging at him. He was proud, but yet, somehow, out of it. There was something more that was worrying him, but it couldn't be about the mission, he tried to assure himself, and he had done what was expected of him. All he had to do was make sure that the senator was attacked, and then get captured. It was not as if he had failed, in fact, he would call it a complete success.

Assured of that he had done the correct thing; he nodded once more, bringing a smile back to his face. He continued walking down the stairs; aware that he was being watched, but unaware of by whom it was that was watching him.

Amarhil watched the man leave carefully, prancing down the stairs as if in a jig. He seemed proud of what was happening, that he had been captured, and had been let go. It was strange, but he almost seemed as if he was happy. He nodded in head, but in a disgusted way, disappointed that the council had let him go. But then again, it was an order from the Chancellor, and they had to obey.

Breathing in carefully he watched the man disappear into an air taxi, full of tourists who would delve at the chance to visit the Jedi Temple, and revere in the majesty of the what the Jedi had succeeded to build and maintain in the thousands of years of their existence. Truthfully, it was amazing, but it was not something to be gawked at.

Amarhil still watched the man as he disappeared, and the taxi lift off into the distance. He waited for a moment, and nodded again, and then swiftly turned and into the Temple, making his way to the hangar. Even as he entered he was still thinking about the man, but then again, it was his job to do so. The council had authorized him and Obi-wan to tailgate him for the time being, before returning to visit Padme once more.

Amarhil was frustrated about that. They had been relieved from their duty to the senator, and had been placed to follow the assassin, but what if another assassin were to get her now, then they would fail outright in their duty to protect her. But then again, it had been an order from the Chancellor, and they had to be obeyed.

It was strange really, that the Council had taken orders from the Chancellor, when they always said that the Chancellor, let alone politicians, have no business in Jedi affairs. None of it made any sense, and then again, it may not have meant to.

Making his way to the ship before him, he opened up the cockpit and then jumped in, wriggling into the seat. Placing his hands firmly on the wheel he waited for a moment before beginning to start the ship, he just wanted to assure himself that they were doing the right thing.

'_Stop thinking that padawan,'_ a small voice chimed in his head. _'It is down to us by the will of the Council, we cannot refute their decision.'_

'_You mean that it is down to us because we are Palpatine's lackeys.'_

'_Padawan'. _Amarhil jolted, being shocked by the vibrance of his master's command. _'Never disrespect the Chancellor. It goes against all of the Jedi Codes.'_

'_And does the Jedi Code tell us to release prisoners after they had just attempted to assassinate a senator.' _The younger Jedi shot back hard, aware that his master was also annoyed by this strange turn of events. None of it made any sense.

'_The command was given to us by the council…'_

'_The Chancellor you mean.' _Amarhil sneered. He disliked the man so much it wasn't even funny. Not that it was meant to be. It was unorthodox of the Jedi to be like this. They were meant to feel compassion and peace, but not so was it for him. He hated many of the Jedi Codes, as they were basically ridiculous, and most of the time, besides no making any sense, contradicted themselves.

There was a short silence before Obi-wan fired back, though is a shallow tone, pensive, but ordering. _'It was given to us by the Council yes, but it was an order delivered to us upon the Chancellor, who wants to observe him for the moment, I don't know why, we just follow what we are told to do.' _

'_It's a bit unorthodox,'_ Amarhil piped up, smiling. _'don't you think, master?' _

Obi-wan chuckled for a moment before answering. _'We are not to question our orders padawan. We just follow them. It came from the Chancellor, but it also came from the Council. That is the end of it.'_ he added in a severe tone of voice.

'_Alright, master, I will put a rest to it.' _he started, placing his hands in the air. He breathed in slowly for a moment, and then started again, this time turning the crafts engine on and then pressing the button for which would make the hangar doors open.

'_Where are you heading, master?' _Amarhil asked in a small, silent tone.

'_Somewhere into the city padawan,'_ the Jedi Master returned back. _'I don't have a clue where we are exactly, as I seem to be crowded within this taxi with no hope of looking out of a window.'_

'_Then how am I meant to find you, or him, for that matter?'_

'_Use the Force, Amarhil.' _Obi-wan added gruffly, as if in a sarcastic manner. _'It shouldn't take long for you to find me, but, to find him, I have placed a tracking device upon him, so you should be able to locate him easily.'_

'_Thanks master,'_ the younger Jedi chided for a moment, _'I will be with you in a moment.'_

The link suddenly shut off and Amarhil faced the opening door of the hangar bay. Smiling, and nodding to himself, he lifted off of the hangars ground and flew into the open air.

* * *

The figure bowed before the shimmering blue hologram before him, making his head go down low. There was not a sound to be heard, nor any light to be seen besides the light of the hologram. It was dark and pitch black.

"What is thy bidding, my master?" the kneeling figure asked, bringing his head up to face the holo.

"There is a disturbance in the Force, my young apprentice." The cloaked figure started, his face hidden behind his cowl and his metal mask. "The _assignment_ is still alive; our _contractor_ has failed in his attempts to neutralize the target."

"He was not meant to kill her, my lord."

"Yes, I know," the figure rebounded back at him. "But I have changed the deal."

The youthful figure bought his head back up. Looking shocked and repulsed by the apparent news that he had just been given.

"I want her dead," the head began, "and the contractor as well."

"Is it necessary?" the man asked, "She could still be of use to use."

"Perhaps." He reigned in, considering his apprentices words. "But you still have your orders. Edern must be silenced, he knows too much of our plans, if he were to talk, it could jeopardize the entire mission. He must go." He paused for a moment, before adding in a disgusted way. "See to it."

"Yes, my master."

* * *

The lower levels of Coruscant were not a friendly place to be. Of course, where they were it was not the very bottom of the planet, but it was close enough. Looking up, Obi-wan Kenobi could only just see the sky and a few stars, but for the most part it was filled with and ever changing landscape of buildings upon buildings. Even as he stared back down to look ahead of him at the back of the figure of Edern Lars making his way through the crowd. Unlike Edern, Obi-wan just didn't fit in, as he had to employ his powers of persuasion to mingle among the crowd, and that alone was making his Force powers stressful.

Obi-wan made a small groan as he continued forward, mingling among the poorer people of Coruscant, those who could not live on the top levels of the planet and see the sky, let alone breathe fresh atmosphere. For him, although he usually traveled this way to Dex's diner, they seemed mutated, if not, different to most people within the city.

But they were, and in a way, they were not.

It was just the way that they seemed, trapped within the bowels of the planet. They were not so much different than most of the people, but, in truth, they were in totality. For Obi-wan, they were nothing but scum and villains, stealing whatever they could get, and retreating further into the levels underworld, mingling in with more unsavory characters, becoming one with the city itself.

It was a strange notion, and he knew it. Above all, it made no sense.

But that was how he saw the planet of Coruscant, an ever mingling city of hierarchy and division heaped upon each other. There was, in the end, nothing else that you could really say.

Breathing in hard, Obi-wan made his way forward, streaking in through the crowd and coming slowly, though fast paced, behind Edern. The man just kept walking, making his way through the street, stopping at times to greet other people, but otherwise, he just kept walking, disappearing and reappearing. Thankfully, Obi-wan had his small tracking device placed within his hand so that he could not lose him. He was at least thankful for that little component of machinery, or else he would lose his target.

Creeping up behind Edern he watched from the sidelines as he made his way into a small club on the side of the street. Obi-wan made his way into the shadows and watched, silently, as the man talked with a few of the guards, giving them some credits and then gracefully walking in. _'Greed'_, Obi-wan thought. _'It was the only thing good enough that kept this city running.'_ He shook his head dryly as he thought of what money could buy in this place, and what else it couldn't.

He watched for a few more minutes, glancing at the building, and slowly walked forward. But even as he did so a loud beeping noise came from his com. There were a few people around him that heard it, but barely noticed it. They kept walking though until the noise disappeared into the distance.

Obi-wan was now annoyed, he had almost been discovered. Sighing in frustration he almost bellowed into his com, but then took in a deep breath and approached what he was going to say carefully, with a hint of anger registering in his voice.

"What?" he said with enough calmness radiating from his voice as he could.

Amarhil would have looked shocked if Obi-wan would have seen him. "Sorry, master," Amarhil began, in a silent tone. "But I thought that you should know that our target has moved into the side of the building…"

"Is that all?" Obi-wan asked in a monotone type of voice.

"Well, no actually, if you would let me finish…" Amarhil supplied in a defiant, yet suppliant type of tone.

"Then finish," Obi-wan said in anger, getting a few queer looks at him. He ignored them.

"Yes master," the reply came back. "It seems that Edern is talking with someone, though I cant see who it is. Perhaps it is his contractor, the man who hired him for the kill."

"Perhaps." Obi-wan replied in a silent voice.

"Shall I pursue?"

"No," the Jedi Master supplied harshly. "I will take them down myself."

"Master…?" the reply came but was cut off by Obi-wan making his way towards the alley next to the building. Lucky for him it was dark and no-one could see him. Let alone he was using Force persuasion to make it look like he was not there.

He neared the corner slowly, getting out his lightsaber in case of trouble. He peered his head around the corner, hearing silent voices ringing in the distance. As he stared at them he could see Edern and a larger bulkier man with a cowl and cloak wrapped around his entire body, enshrouded from the darkness of the night. He listened carefully, unaware that he was being watched by another darker figure.

"Did you complete your mission?" the larger being asked, his voice obscured and heavy, making Edern almost cringe. It was a mysterious way to meet someone.

Edern barely made an audible noise, only watching as the figure placed his hand within his cloak and give it to him. The man nodded that he had completed his mission, adding only in a quiet manner.

"I think that I was followed," he nodded again.

The dark figure stared at him, his face not betraying his bleak expression. "And you may have led them here?" he gaped in his vibrant, but mechanical tone of voice. "The master will be displeased with you for this. You have betrayed us."

"No," the younger man began to plead. "I would never…"

"Then how can you not tell me that we are being watched as we speak," he started in anger, grabbing out a small pistol and aiming it at the mans head. "She was supposed to die, but because of your incompetence, it is you who shall die now."

Obi-wan ignited his saber, and began to run forward, not wanting to see their target be killed by another man. But even as he did so he found himself being blown away. The force of the explosion made people fall back into the air, landing hard onto the ground. There were a thousand screams around him as the club exploded, bringing down the walls around the ally and covering everything within a few hundred meters.

"Master!" Amarhil immediately said loudly as he watched the explosion from the air far above the small cantina. His first instincts were to contact the council, but then, they would presumably know about it anyway within a few moments. That explosion sent a minor tremor through the Force, bouncing and echoing off a number of different people. It was almost immediately that he thought that he should find Obi-wan.

Taking in the controls, he glided the small craft down towards the surface of the planet. Even as he landed people were screaming at him to get help, but he paid no heed to them, merely watching for the body of his master. He felt carefully through the Force, trying to feel for his master. he knew that he wasn't dead as there was still a connection, and compared to the other people on this stage, they were dead, or being maimed significantly.

All around Amarhil there were corpses lying around, a mixture of humans, droids and mainly non-humans. He shook his head in disgust as he saw the bodies. _'All this to kill one man,'_ he thought solemnly. There was definitely something wrong with this concept.

Walking slowly through the rubble, of which a number of people were buried under, he made his way to the middle of the street, the only part which was still illuminated by the fire of the cantina. Amarhil found Obi-wan easily. He was lying looking at the sky, his face with a few scars, but otherwise, he was okay. There was nothing seriously wrong with him as far as Amarhil could see. Still, he would have to be checked out by a medical droid, and even the Jedi healers. Placing his hand underneath his head, Amarhil lifted him up carefully, trying not to cause him too much pain if he was hurt significantly.

Obi-wan winced in pain, causing a smile to grow on his apprentices face. "Are you alright Master?" Amarhil asked with a hint of humour in his tone.

The Jedi Master eyed him with narrowed eyes, hardly finding it funny. Shaking his head he made Amarhil help him up carefully, causing him to groan involuntarily. But even as they helped each other they saw a lone figure in the distance, perched up above the building, watching them. As it was too dark to see, they could only glimpse at him. Within moments he had disappeared, and their attention had been drawn away from them to behind them. Both the Jedi Master and the apprentice were confused as they saw, for the first time, another cloaked figure, though wearing body armour, fly off into the distance.

For a moment they watched the figure retreat, and then shared a confused look.

* * *

Making his way down the hall Mas Amedda was, one might say, different. Not only because he was an alien, but because of his species, and even so, he was different even among his own species.

Generally, the Chagrian were a species that rivaled the humans in height and intelligence, and, if not, virility. Usually though they did not fit in well with the human society as they were deemed imposing, by most standards. This therefore led to the species as a whole to become highly sensitive to the impact their imposing features had on other species. It was not uncanny for them to be violated or defamed in such ways. Physiologically speaking, the Chagrians had four large growths that grew from their heads. The two main growths, called lethrons, grew from the back of their skulls, hanging loosely upon their shoulders. Sometimes the growths grew up to lengths as great as 1 meter—if not longer. Along with them, two additional horns grew from atop of their skulls, adding to the greater imposing height of the species.

These two growths were imposing for the Chagrian, and were reminiscent in many cultures of the very darkest of demons and evil creatures, making them never to be underestimated, and always making them get what they wanted. Strangely enough, these growths were not unlike the other species of the galaxy, like the Tweliks, but, unlike them, the Chagrian growths were considered seen as a sign of their strength and virility. But somehow, for the Chagrian, their tentacles were not considered attractive.

The Chagrian itself grew only to a height equal to that of humans, although, in totality, added with that of the horns they reached a standard height of almost 2.5 meters, higher than the average human. Comparatively, the smallest full-grown Chagrian males and females were almost 2 meters tall. It was their imposing height that led them to fall in, and usually succeed in trade negotiations, and, if not, any negotiations. The Chagrian themselves followed through with what was preferable to their needs, usually going on along with the best deal that was offered.

Mas Amedda was neither an exception to or for this rule. In truth, he was the most manipulative and experienced at it.

Amedda himself was one of the tallest of the Chagrian species, reaching almost the maximum height for his species. In every way, Amedda relished his appearance, and it was because of his appearance that he had gotten so far in politics, and as a result had got to be where he was now. Even as he made his way towards his friends room, he wondered how he had gotten this far. He thought back hard, remembering when he had first met him, the man who would put his career on the galactic stage.

To begin with, Amedda was no different from any other Chagrian from his home world. They liked their solitude, and were often considered to be xenophobic, but, luckily for them, it was otherwise. One thing they all shared in common though was the search for more power, or even perhaps, pleasure out of life, and Amedda himself was the prime example of that dream. Firstly, Amedda had met the man who would come to be Lord Nihilus on a visit to his home world. The man never revealed why he was there, but it had something to do with finding talent. Indeed, when he first laid eyes on Amedda they immediately began a long friendship. The young Chagrian at the time had just made it onto being successful. Somehow, unknown to him, he had been manipulated into standing for his elections for the small district of his planet and, amazingly, narrowly won. He had believed that Nihilus was behind this, but never found out how he had done it. It was curious though as most of his town did vote for him. It was at this moment that he began his career into politics.

By the time that he had made it to the government in his world, the senatorial elections had come up on Champala. Amedda had only volunteered out of spite, and considering his opponents he didn't expect to win. It was only at the suggestion of Nihilus that he go forth with the idea, and amazingly, he ended up winning by a landslide. Of course, the other opponents withdrew at the last moment, and put their faith into the younger Amedda, which confused the Chagrian at best. Among all of the things that he didn't know was that he had been manipulated like the rest of his family, friends and species, all of whom, now anyway, had become his firm supporters. He was guaranteed to be secure for the next decade.

The greatest asset that Amedda had when he came to Coruscant was his physical appearance. Simply by staring at him, even with a small glance, you had to respect him. He gained respect, commanding it simply by walking into a room. There was an aura of authority that surrounded him. His greatest asset about his appearance was his stature, and to add to that, his horns. Although he began by representing his homeworld, Champala, he became the spokesperson of the Rim Faction, behind its leader. Immediately he considered himself an honest politician and strove to voice the wants and needs of his people in the Senate. It was his appearance that gave him a seat of power within the Rim Faction, one of the two main factions at the time composed mainly of non-humans. They encompassed an area around the Outer Rim, Mid Rim, and various other special groups within those areas.

Amedda, due to his connections, and his 'ability' to quiet an army of Senators with ease, was successfully nominated by his faction to be elected to the position of Vice Chair. His main duties were to provide his faction with a means of control over Chancellor Valorum, who had been weakened during his terms by the Trade Federation's grasp for power. The Chancellor was considered corrupt by a majority of the Senate, and support of Valorum's policies in the Senate began to degenerate, which effectively paralyzed the Chancellor's government.

It was then, at that time that he came face to face with Senator Palpatine, immediately becoming his close confidant and being permitted within his private circle. At first he was reluctant, as Palpatine began by asking favours of him, but he did comply, out of some self-interest at least. In fact, he might never have helped Palpatine had the Senator not revealed his plans.

Palpatine was a genius.

But above all, he was an insanely genuine one at that. Truth be told, at first, Amedda couldn't believe it, but followed through with it, hoping to gain a greater gain and hold of power within the Senate. What Palpatine was doing was intelligent, he would praise him for that, but it was stupid, and unrealistic. Amedda knew that Palpatine would never reveal all of his plans, but he was able to see that the Senator was power hungry. He tried to distance himself, but when his Palpatine's election to Chancellor was confirmed, he found himself drawn within the tangled web of treason.

It was in these years that he had no connection with Nililus at all, and was stuck on his own path through the Senate. And it was now that he wished for his guidance.

It was only after the disappearance of Valorum in shame from the Senate after a vote of no confidence in his duties that Nihilus came back. It was only then that he revealed the truth to Amedda after so many long years of waiting. And it was now that he learned the full extent of Palpatine's uncharacteristic nature. It was only then as well that he learned who Nihilus truly was, and the extent of his power. Curiously he was attracted more to him than to Palpatine. And they were both offering him the same thing.

But, in the end, he chose to remain with Nihilus, mainly out of friendship. Amedda could see the path to power from Nihilus' perspective, and craved it as well. Mas knew he couldn't become Chancellor himself, but he could clearly see that Nihilus would soon be in that position of power, and would control it for as long as he was alive. And Amedda knew that as long as that were true, he would remain in power also.

Compared to Palpatine, Nihilus seemed like a saint.

Nihilus and Amedda secretly plotted behind Palpatine's back, waiting for the time to strike at him. And Amedda would continue to play the cunning, but loyal fool of Palpatine. Following Palpatine's election, Amedda continued to serve as Vice Chair, and was never voted out by anyone. He seemed to be fairly rooted in position. Amedda had carefully fed his ideas to Palpatine, and they would wind up being used by the Head of State, but Palpatine was truly manipulating the Speaker, and Amedda knew it.

Turning the corner, he halted outside the door to his co-conspirators office. Amedda knocked with his staff three times before entering. When getting no answer he entered cautiously, and made his way to the main desk. He had expected to see Nihilus seated in his desk, but was unmoved when he saw the man was staring outside of the window. He paused for a moment, but received a mental nudge from the man that he was able to come closer to him.

Making his way to stand next to his friend, Amedda remembered his meeting with Palpatine, and how he had introduced each other to the other. Amedda had told Palpatine of the extremely creative skills of Lord Nihilus, and made sure that he was hired by the Chancellor. He was sure that Palpatine didn't know who Nihilus' true identity was, but then again, he could never be too sure. Amedda knew Nihilus' true identity for sure, but he had never told anyone else. He was the man's closest confident, besides his other silent partners that he had not met yet, but knew that he soon would.

As he stood near him, he stared at his friend for the moment, eyeing his carefully, then glancing outside the window, staring at the cityscape wide planet before them as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. He stood there, quietly for a moment before glancing back at his friend, noting his subtle gaze. His long, sleek dark hair and pointed nose, and his Lenin-type beard at the bottom of his face, masking his facial features. But it was his eyes though that told his everything that he needed to know. They were distant, as if observant, waiting for something to happen. Mas turned back to the window before he heard his friend's voice.

"Is everything going as I have foreseen," the silent, but deep voice asked, "my friend?"

Amedda listened to the voice in his head for the moment, regarding the wisdom and age that he been molded into it. He smiled quickly, but then hid it. Nodding to himself he faced his friend.

"Our plans have not yet been discovered, m'lord," the Chagrian added with another pleased look, "It is my belief that the Chancellor does not know a thing."

"Can we be sure?"

Amedda remained silent for a moment before answering. "No, m'lord, we cannot. But you would know more than I."

That made Nihilus smile. He should know more than anyone should. He knew what Palpatine knew, and that was what made him one step ahead of his adversary. Nihilus remembered when he had told Amedda that he was a Sith Lord, and that Palpatine was one as well, but of a more uncharismatic kind. He had told Amedda about the history of the Sith, and focused on their triumphs and defeats, and the Jedi. He had also told him about his plans for this galaxy, and Amedda was only too eager to come on board after he had finished. They remained silent for a moment longer before Amedda spoke up.

"Are we proceeding forward as ordered, my lord?" he asked in a skeptical tone.

Nihilus replied with an even firmness. "The plans will be going forward as planned, already there has been an attack in our favour, sidelining Palpatine from securing knowledge of us and our whereabouts. But our main plans will be going ahead. There will be no stopping us once we have completed the _Doomgiver_, and after that, the galaxy will soon fall once more into my hands."

"I will make sure that everything is completed on schedule then, my lord," Amedda spoke up with a firm convicting voice.

"I am sure that you will my friend," the Sith Lord nodded, "I have no doubt of your skills."

There was a momentous pause followed by nothing by a grave silence. There was nothing said until the beeper on the com started to go off. Nihilus turned around and headed for his desk, pressing the button as soon as he came upon it.

"Yes?" he said into the appearing small hologram.

The small figure bowed and then stood firmly in his position, holding out his hand before him. He was wearing Mandalorian armour, and was clearly a man not to be disputed with. Just by the look of him he was vicious. "The target has been annihilated," He firmly stated, echoing into the comlink.

"Excellent," Nihilus beamed. "Any trouble along the way?"

"The Jedi were no trouble, my lord," the bounty hunter replied, "But there was a man who kept watching me. Am I to assume that he is of your caliber?"

"Perhaps, Jango," Nihilus sneered, "You will find out all in good time. But I do have another target for you to take care of, and once more, if it fails, you are to wipe out the deliverer." The lord paused for a moment, adding a firm gaze to the hologram. "Understand?"

"Yes my lord."

"Good, I will be sending you the details within the hour of what you are to do, and then I want you to head back to Kamino, and take care of your brothers there." Nihilus supplied to the bounty hunter, almost shocking him. "Not to worry, Lama Su is an old friend of mine, and he will be glad to do what I ask, after all, he owes me a number of favours."

"What will you have me do?"

"use your imagination, Jango," the Sith Lord snided, "What you have been there doing the last few times that you have been there."

It took a quiet moment for it to dawn upon him. "You want me to make more clones of me?"

"Yes," Nihilus commanded. "And you will do so with a considered amount of credits in mind." He saw the bounty hunters head perk up at the mention of credits. Nihilus smiled. "That will be all Jango."

"Yes, my lord." the bounty hunter replied, signing off.

Nihilus turned and aimed a sour look at Amedda. He was frustrated, annoyed even. "Those Jedi are a nuisance. They just interfere with everything that we plan on creating."

"You do remember my lord, that you were once a Jedi Knight as well," Amedda supplied with a quiet voice.

Nihilus stared at his companion, his gaze unnerving. "I do." There was silence for a moment. "They are already suspecting me of something, just because my name is Nihilus. Perhaps I shouldn't have chosen a name so Sith-like, but then again, I want them to suspect me. And then there is Lord Vader, damn him."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have recruited him into your service," Amedda countered in his usual voice. "He has done nothing but interfere in our plans ever since…"

"He is just eager to get revenge on the Jedi, again," Nihilus answered with a greater conviction. He stared at AMedda with an unnerving gaze, as if thinking. "He just enjoys following Obi-wan Kenobi around, he really wants to kill that man for what he did to him."

"He could ruin us," the aide pointed out.

"He won't. He knows what I am capable of," Nihilus silenced him. He wouldn't want to risk it. And he will follow my orders, and stick with the plan, speaking of which..."

* * *

Not a bad chapter to begin with once more. I hope that you enjoyed it.

Anyway, as usual, PLEASE REVIEW.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 –****Attempt**

Walking up the corridor Amarhil could have sworn loudly as the injured Obi-wan collapsed onto him again. At firs he was sure that Obi-wan had been relatively okay, and that there was nothing wrong with him, but he was proven wrong in the end.

Why he chose Senator Amidala's apartment to go to was beyond him. Perhaps he wanted to see her again, or perhaps it was because he knew that the apartment was closer than the Jedi Temple, and that he could wait here until more help came. Obi-wan was just too heavy to be carried by himself, and even more so, the hover car had been partly ruined by the debris. On the plus side though, Padme is still their charge.

Padme, now why did he keep calling her that. It was wrong to begin with, and he didn't have any feeling towards her, but he did know that she did towards him. It was unfortunate, that even as they came closer that he could feel the growing feeling of the Senator for Amarhil, and it partly sickened him.

Approaching the door he breathed in cautiously, and then proceeded to knock. He could feel the senator approaching on the other side of the door, and moving her hand forward to open it. As she opened the door to its full length to say that she was surprised would have been an understatement. She was shocked as her mouth fell open.

Letting them in she made Amarhil lay him down on the couch as she disappeared for some of her handmaidens. Coming back as quickly as she could with Sabe and Dorme, the Senator quickly commanded them to strip his top and apply something to the wounds. Amarhil watched peaceably for a moment before disappearing into the other room. Padme, seeing this, followed him.

"What happened?" she asked in a grave tone of voice, desperate for an answer.

Amarhil chocked for a moment, but then remembered that the man had tried to assassinate her. "Edern happened." He added in a sharp tone. He was becoming angry.

"What?" she asked in her skeptical tone, unable to believe that. Of course, he had tried to assassinate her, and why not go against one of her Jedi protectors.

"You heard me," he added after her thoughts, his tone becoming aggressive. "We were charged with following Edern, and when we came to arrest him he was blown up. And Obi-wan just happened to be in the crossfire."

"Calm down, Amarhil…"

"I am calm." He bellowed loudly at her face, causing her to fall back a little, letting him glide past her and enter the living room once more. Yet when he got there, with Padme following him, he came to a complete stop.

What he saw was something that he couldn't believe. Even the senator was confused, but not surprised. To add to that, Amarhil wasn't either. Sabe was by herself with Obi-wan, and was caressing his chest, as if exploring his body. They stood there for a moment and watched the expressions on Sabe's face. She seemed to be enjoying it, wanting more. Within a moment though Obi-wan's hands flashed to hers, as if a sudden reaction to being attacked, and held them carefully.

Both Amarhil and Padme came close to look upon what that had just seen, not believing their eyes. Both Sabe and Obi-wan were holding hands. There was a smile on their faces, but Amarhil knew, as much as Obi-wan did, that he would never go through with this in the end. Obi-wan was a 'by-the-book' Jedi, and obeyed the code as a whole. He was apart of the old tradition, along with a few of the Jedi of his generation who were strict adherents to the code. Sure thing that Obi-wan and Siri Tachi would have made a good couple, but, for a start, they had hidden their feelings years ago. He wondered now how she would react to Obi-wan and Sabe.

That thought was interrupted almost momentarily as Amarhil began to have a tingling sensation at the back of his head. Grabbing the senator he threw her to the floor and covered her. Almost immediately the window exploded, engulfing the room in a ball of flame and glass. Even as he covered the senator, Sabe covered Obi-wan.

Amarhil got up after another moment, and ignited his saber. Stepping closer to the railing her caught sight of a man hovering in the air, watching him. Bringing his saber to guard position he stood waiting for the fight to begin. But nothing came. He waited for the smoke to clear, and as it did so he saw the figure for who he was. A Mandalorian, like the one who he had spotted earlier in the evening, but he was holding another person. Amarhil stepped forward a little bit more, and watched at the figure lifted his head up to face him.

"She failed in her attempt, so she must die." He pronounced, throwing the body of a young woman at him. Quickly the bounty hunter flew away, leaving a confused Amarhil staring at the body of the red haired female.

Across the road, standing on the adjacent building, another man was watching as the events unfolded. He was only doing this out of spite, but it was also something that he had been tasked to do.

Watching as the window exploded, and sooner to find that Jango Fett had just given up his girl-friend, he wondered how long that this would last for. Endless assassination attempts on the Senator, and she had already lost three handmaidens. But in the end it didn't matter, as he could only watch, and not make any sense in what he was thinking or saying at this moment in time.

As the figure flew away, so did he, following him to complete his task.

The one thing which surprised him though was that he had no idea why he was doing what he was doing.

* * *

Two Days Later: 

Obi-wan Kenobi and Amarhil, his padawan learner stood in the center of the Council's chambers, staring avidly at the gaping looks of the twelve Jedi Masters. They sat there, looking at them with their faces completely blank and solid, as if contemplating what had been happening in the past few days. Yoda had closed his eyes recently, and had begun to motion them, thinking in a deep state.

"Confusing this is," he began, opening his eyes, "dangerous as well. For been killed, two assassins have by a third, and unknown who he is do we know."

He stared to his right momentarily, and then to his left, eyeing Master Windu and Ki-adi Mundi. "Careful we must tread around the Senator, surrounded by danger, she is."

The Jedi Master's nodded. Mace looked askance at the two Jedi who stood before him. "Do you have any idea who it was that you faced padawan Amarhil?"

Amarhil shook in his place; it was the first time that he had been ever asked anything by the dark Jedi Master. Usually he had never taken the time to notice Amarhil. He smiled briefly, but hid it behind a firm stare.

"No, master," he answered with a firm conviction. He could tell that Mace was not truly convinced by his answer. Amarhil nodded to himself before he continued. "Although, I will note, master, that the assassin did have, or was dressed in armour not dissimilar from the armour that the Mandalorians wore."

Three or four of the Master's stared at each other briefly, then returned their gaze to Amarhil. "Are you insinuating that the Mandalorians have returned?" Oppo Rancissis started, wanting an answer.

Amarhil nodded silently. "Yes, I am master."

"Impossible," Ki-adi started this time, halting Amarhil in his response. "The Mandalorians were wiped out years ago by the Jedi. It has almost been two decades since we last heard anything of them."

Obi-wan sighed beside his apprentice. That was roughly the same words that he said when he and Qui-gon told him that the Sith had returned to the Galaxy. Rubbing his beard briefly, Obi-wan was about to speak out when Amarhil beat him to it.

"You said those words almost exactly when you didn't believe that the Sith had returned either, Master Mundi," Amarhil began, trying to tread carefully. "And look where that got us now. We have seen that they have returned, are you telling me, or the council, that they could not have returned also."

"Watch your place young Amarhil," Mace commented, though it fell on deaf ears.

"Did not the Sith use the Mandalorian people for their own soldiers?" he stared at Eoth Koth momentarily before staring back at Windu and Ki-adi. "and even Zabraks."

"That is out of line…" Master Koth yelled at him.

"I only speak the truth." Amarhil retorted, interrupting him.

"Peace within the chambers, we must have." Yoda began, quieting the voices in the room. He stared at Amarhil with narrowed, but worried eyes. "Distant you have become of late, young Amarhil. Out of line you are indeed. Thinking required, before you act, you must." He paused and closed his eyes once more. "Obi-wan, follow your leads you must. Examine the toxic dart, you must. Amarhil, guard the senator, you will."

Amarhil was about to retort, but received a small mental nudge from his master. "By the will of the council, we shall comply," Obi-wan said proudly, though with a grave sense of dignity and disappointment. They walked out of the chambers quickly, and quietly.

* * *

He had been following him for two days. 

The Dark Figure watched is silence as Jango Fett, the most deadliest assassin and bounty hunter in the galaxy made his way through his private home on Coruscant. Even as he watched him he could see that he was preparing to leave on a most probable urgent mission, but to where, he would not know. All he could tell was that he was in a big hurry.

Although he didn't seem to change his clothes, as he was still wearing his armour, there were clothes all along the floor and his bed. The Dark Figure smiled as he saw the man walk from one part of his apartment to the other, obviously forgetting where one thing was, and another one was. This was here, and that was there. He was unorganized, and totally disorganized at the moment. He seemed to either be in a type of a state of shock, or something else.

He thought that now might be the best time to intervene in his small little one man party.

Jango Fett had made his reputation once more today, successfully killing someone who was out to get at the senator that he had to kill, or at lat wound in a significant manner. E had successfully killed her just so he could further his own agenda. Indeed, his employers had told him to kill her, and he had complied. Of course, he didn't want it to have to be his love, Zam Wesell. But he had outsmarted them in the end, had had her cloned, and then killed the clone. He did not want to kill her just yet, she may be…useful to him.

He smiled as he made his way out of his closet, bringing with him a large box. Setting the box down on his bed, he opened it, revealing his hidden weapons and other sorts of items that would have been extremely dangerous, anything from small knives to swords, thermal detonators to larger explosives and a great number of rifles and pistols. Staring at their beauty, he closed the box immediately and placed it to the side of his bed.

He nodded to himself cautiously, then swiftly turned, pulling a pistol out of his belt and holding it in the air at the cloaked figure that appeared behind him. The figure remained calm though, holding his firm gaze upon Jango. He knew that Jango knew that he was there, and he knew that Jango would eventually hold a pistol out on him. The figure smiled as he proved his assumption to be correct. Nodding to himself he motioned his legs forward, bringing himself closer to the box that sat on the bounty hunters bed.

Jango didn't let the man out of his sight, neither did he let the gun fall out of his hands, and kept it trained on the man as he walked passed him. He would not let him leave so easily. He heard the figure sneer as he opened up the box, clearly disappointed at what he saw. Narrowing his eyes he moved closer and pointed the gun directly at the rear of the mans head. The figure cocked his head up, turning slowly to face the barrel of the gun. He half smiled as he did so.

"Now, now Jango," he started in a menacing, yet quiet tone. It had an elegance to it that none others had. "That is unbecoming of an experienced killer such as yourself. Surely you would have fired first before asking questions. You're not one to usually hesitate, are you?"

Jango stiffened. "I prefer to have as much advantage as possible before I make a killing."

"Ah, so its pride that you are after." The man sneered, "Well I assure you, you will get no such pride from killing me."

He walked passed Jango once more, heading for the window. He stood there for a moment, watching as many of the busses and crafts flew by, still aware that Jango held his gun at the back of his head. He moved his head from side to side, taking in the sight from this room.

"I have a message here from your employers," he man started, feeling the gaze of the bounty hunter begin to falter. He had found his shatter point, as to say. He could feel the gun lower itself behind his back and rest at the mans side. "And you and I both know what is to happen after we have finished with this meeting, don't we?"

He turned swiftly, echoing his last words. Jango narrowed his eyes even further, bringing the piston up to the mans head. He held out his other hands, waiting to take the item from him. The man smiled, thinly as he bought his hand to his cloak, revealing a small round item which he placed in the bounty hunters hands.

Jango stared at the holographic chip for a moment, and then stared once more at the man who was cloaked in darkness. He was not the usual Dark Figure; there was something different about him. But Jango couldn't put his finger upon it.

After that he knew what had to happen, and even thought of what was about to happen. But above all, he knew that it was for the good of the company. Even as his Dark master had said, it was necessary. Swallowing hard, he looked straight down the barrel of the gun, meeting the bounty hunters eyes. He was now aware of course, that this would be the last thing that he would ever see.

* * *

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	23. Chapter 23

_**Chapter 23 – Change**_

The man lay on the floor, a pool of blood filtering out of his head, slipping onto the floor and staining it. There was a small hole where his forehead had been, and it was leaking substantially, although it did seem to be cauterized, if not almost sealed.

Jango Fett stood where he was for a moment, watching as the last movements of life slipped out of the man on the ground. He had only stopped moving a few moments ago, letting the life fall away, looking into the sky. It was strange that he did that as soon as he had died, making himself stare up into space, watching as the sky darkened, as if symbolizing his death. It was strange even as he thought of it.

The bounty hunter had the urge to unveil him, but thought better of it in the end, leaving the body to stay where it lay, and in the same place where he had died. He refused to move it, or even touch it for that matter. Why bother, he was not paid to do such things, let alone, he was not even hired for that type of job.

Jango drew his attention away from the body towards the item that was in his hands. Unlike all of the other contacts that he had to kill to get the information that he needed out of them, this one had handed him a small holographic chip, instead of the usual computer data chip. It bothered him a little bit, as this one man was different from the rest, but then again, he need not worry, they were only doing their duty. The bounty hunter nodded his head and went to his small study that he had, adjacent to his room. If it was as important as he thought that it would be, then he knew that he had to listen to it.

Entering his office he made immediately for his desk. Making for right behind it, he pressed a few buttons, making a small screen appear, and also a opening in the desk to open up, revealing the holographic projector. He nodded to himself once more as he placed the small chip against the desk, plugging it into the data field. He waited a moment, pausing and sitting down to get comfortable. But nothing happened.

He thought that it might be better if he left it. Getting up off of his chair he made it to the door, but even as he did so the hologram opened, illuminating the room in a bluish-white colour. Turning swiftly he came face to face with the shape of a figure, cloaked and hooded in a Sith cowl. He paused momentarily, and then walked forward. Although he didn't know who it was, he made his way forward, standing within range of the transmitter.

The face followed him carefully, watching his every move. When he stopped moving, the face seemed to smile. "I have been expecting to hear from you, Jango Fett." It started talking in a silent, but menacing tone of voice. "What kept you?"

Startled at first, he stood defiant and still, but eventually replied. "I was busy."

The Sith regarded him for a moment, as if in contemplation. "Our business is more pressing than yours is, bounty hunter. We hired you for a specific reason. And we still need you for a specific reason."

"And what reason is that?" Jango asked in a skeptical manner. His eyes cocked up in surprise of his own attitude. He knew that he was talking to a Sith, but he didn't care enough to care that he was talking to a Sith. Sith or Jedi, they were all the same to him.

"It is a just reason." The Sith replied. "And I resent that thought. The Sith and Jedi are totally different in perspective, it only matters upon how they use their powers." He regarded Jango for a moment, watching him stiffen. "But then you already knew that, didn't you?"

"How the hell do you know what I am thinking?" Jango asked in a skeptical and fearful manner.

The figure before him smiled. He then began to laugh, and, to his own surprise, but compared to Jango's surprise on his face, he began to walk out of the hologram, becoming a see through image to a real life born and bred image. The Sith cloth started to become real, the mans hair, his facial features became youthful, and his height almost doubled. Jango had to fall back to let the man appear before him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

'Then believe it.' The words suddenly echoed in his mind. It should be impossible, no creature, no human could possibly do that; do what he had just done. Yet he had just seen it happen. Perhaps he had misunderstood how powerful these people actually were.

The figure stared at him for a moment, and smiled. "We have business to discuss, you an I, Jango Fett."

* * *

(A/N: I know that that was extremely confusing, but I haven't been thinking this through clearly, but I will do so for the next few chapters. I just want to rush through this and be done with it. I actually found that that made no sense at all. I guess that I just wasn't in with it today.)

* * *

The Jedi Master's eyes shot open almost immediately. There was something wrong, something different had just happened. The Force had just twinged in a stagnant and strange way. He couldn't place it, but the Force had changed with a click of his fingers.

He stared around his meditations sphere within his own private quarters. Around him, the Jedi Masters Ki-adi Mundi and Mace Windu, with the Jedi Knight Obi-wan Kenobi sat with him. They had all felt the same thing, there was no doubt about it, as they all seemed to have changed colour, becoming whiter in their faces. They eyes were wide open like Yoda's were.

Obi-wan turned and faced Yoda cautiously. His tone was severe, but worried. "What do you think that was master?"

"Know, I do not," Yoda replied quickly, though placing his hand to his forehead, rubbing it carefully. Something was bothering him terribly. He hadn't felt this way for ten years. "The Force has changed. Different it has become. Altered somehow, closer to the Dark Side of the Force."

There was no registering the shock in their faces when they heard this. They had been expecting this for sometime, but they didn't know when it would happen. The Dark Side had been growing stronger ever since the beginning, ten years ago, ever since the Sith had appeared. It had been changing, manipulating into their favour.

There was a silence for a moment before Obi-wan spoke up. "How should we tread master? If the Sith caused that, then we may be in dire straits."

"Indeed," Mace spoke openly, agreeing with Obi-wan. "The Force has changed into their favour, and we are becoming a deadly species. We will soon not be able to use the Force, and it is diminishing. We should inform…"

"Inform no one of this, we will." Yoda silenced him. "If find out our enemy does that our ability to see with the Force we cannot, then multiply our adversaries will." He glanced at all of their faces, watching their looks of confusion. "Continue, we must, search out with the Force I will to find the source of power that created our worry and confusion."

"Yes, master." they all replied with an evenness.

Obi-wan and the two Jedi Masters quietly left Yoda's quarters, and continued down the hallway. They paused as they neared the main stairway within the Temple. They all looked at each other, fully aware of what they had felt within Yoda's chambers, though neither of them wanted to talk about it. Obi-wan quickly made a decision to change the subject of thought.

"My apprentice didn't take to his assignment with great enthusiasm," he announced, aware of Amarhil's temper. He had a solemn look on his face, although that could be because of his fearful experience in Yoda's chambers. "I am concerned for my Padawan. I do no believe that he is not ready to be given this assignment on his own yet."

Mace stared at Ki-adi for a moment before answering Obi-wan. "Although he has a relentless nature Obi-wan," Mace started, remembering the Council only the day before, "The Council is confident in this decision, Obi-Wan."

"Indeed," Ki-adi countered, supplying his friend's argument. Both sides of his brain were flowing through with information, processing it as he talked. "The boy has exceptional skills."

Obi-wan stared at Mace and Ki-adi, seeing them nod, he continued. "But he still has much to learn, Master. His abilities have made him – well, arrogant."

Ki-adi and Mace seemed worried by this. They knew Amarhil was good, but they didn't want him to go for the wrong path in life. Mace took all of the information in step. "Yes, yes. It's a flaw more and more common among Jedi. We are often too sure of ourselves…"

"…even the older; more experienced ones are too sure of themselves, Obi-wan." Ki-adi added with a grim smile. "Surely you have noticed this in your skills as well."

Obi-wan tried to hold back his smile, but noticed that he couldn't. His master had raised a good point, often at times, Obi-wan was extremely over confident in his abilities. Yet he had been trying to keep them in check.

"I am trying to relearn from my mistakes, masters." Obi-wan offered silently, his face grave. "Yet I worry more about my padawans skills more so than mine."

"Your skills are of magnificence Obi-wan. You should be proud of what you have achieved," Ki-adi nodded. "How is your apprentice going with his assignment anyway?"

"Well as I said before, he was not enthusiastic about it." Obi-wan continued, "In fact, he seemed to not want to go. Yet I managed to persuade him to go ahead."

"He will do a marvelous job at protecting her, Obi-wan. I am sure of it. And then you will see that he is able to accomplish anything that you ask of him. Whether he likes the target or not."

"What of you, Obi-wan," Mace supplied, "How are you going ahead with your investigations?"

Obi-wan had almost forgotten. He still had the toxic dart that was used to kill that poor red haired woman. He had been so caught up with concern for his padawan that he had forgotten all about it. "I was just about to head to the archives, and perhaps to the droid laboratory to see if it was possible that they could analyze it. as of yet, I have not been able to find out what the toxic dart is."

"Indeed." Mace added with a curious glance at his friend. "Well I am sure that the droids at the laboratory will be able to fix whatever problem that you have."

"And if they cannot identify where it came from?" Obi-wan asked with sarcastic skepticism.

Mace stopped, pausing momentarily, as if thinking hard. "If the droids are unable to find out where they come from then we will have a serious problem." He laughed for a moment before disappearing down the corridor, leaving Obi-wan by himself.

* * *

Amarhil's first instinct was to jump as he heard it. He couldn't believe what he was hearing as he neared Padme's door. It was strange, and yet, beautiful. And it was echoing through the halls of the upper floors of the Senatorial apartments. Beside him, many people were leaving their apartments to see what was happening, and by the looks of it, or perhaps, sound of it; it seemed that Padme, Senator Amidala of Naboo – was laughing.

It was a complete shock to him. He couldn't understand it, but it was loud. Beside him the other patrons began to return to their rooms, seeing that there was a Jedi there outside her apartments. They did send him a few sour looks though, and then disappeared back into their rooms. He shook his head wildly, not wanting to make eye contact with them. Taking in a deep breath he knocked on the door. He waited only for a moment before a small reply came through, telling him to enter.

Pressing on the button on the side of the door, he opened it and entered the apartment. To his surprise the laughter was about four times as loud as it would usually be, compared to being in the hallway. He would have had to cover his ears could he not block out the sound with the Force. Shaking his head once more, Amarhil entered the sitting room unprepared for what he saw.

What he saw though was senator Amidala entertaining a young man, about his age, on the couch. He stared at them for a moment, noting her beautiful features and long plaited hair. Comparatively, he saw that this man was dressed completely in black, with his long hair hanging down his back, only at shoulder height though. When Amidala saw him she placed the drink down on the table that she had near him, and then went up to greet Amarhil. He was shocked, would be the best word to describe it.

"Hello, Amarhil," she started as they came near each other. She quickly gave him a hug, not wanting to get too attached to him as she was entertaining. She pulled away just as quickly as she came to him. They stared at each other for a moment before she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "I am glad that you are here, there is someone that I would like you to meet."

Amarhil's eyes widened for a moment. He hadn't expected that. She took his hand and led him to the front of the couch where the man was now standing. The Jedi now got a better look at the mans face, studying him. He was not much older than him, with a rounded face and blue eyes. He was surprised, to say the least.

When Padme saw them staring at each other with pointed eyes, and strange looks, she introduced them. "Anakin, this is my Jedi protector, Amarhil." They began to shake hands quickly.

"Amarhil," she said, facing him. "This is my oldest friend and love, Anakin Skywalker."

The words almost hit him hard. He couldn't believe what she had just said; Anakin Skywalker was here now, within this room. He had just appeared out of nowhere, just like he had disappeared ten years ago. Yet, he was now here, in this room, standing before his eyes, he couldn't believe it.

Either could Anakin.

* * *

Obi-wan Kenobi was having a tiring day as he searched the records of the type of toxic darts on the archives. Not even the droids were of much help. They seemed to be unable to identify it, and that wasn't good. I guess that he had to tell Mace about that, and even he wouldn't be pleased. How was he ever going to identify the toxic dart he had no clue.

Suddenly he had an idea. He knew how he was going to identify it, and he knew the man for the job as well. Getting up off the chair, he headed out the door and into the nearest lift. He was off to see Dex.

This was an Odd chapter. I am not going into detail as much as I should as I wan to try and limit the word limit a bit. Not that it will change that much.

I hoped that you liked it, so, please Review.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 ****- ****Powers Revealed Part 1**

The ship came to a small descending stop on the hangar bay, landing with a slight jolt upon the landing strip. The ship was only small, yet it was long enough and provided enough space for the 'privately reserved' three Jedi and their compatriots. The ships door slowly opened up letting the three Jedi and their companions file out, heading towards the larger ship in the distance.

As soon as she had distanced herself from her Jedi protectors, she found herself on the railing, staring at the ship before her. This ship alone was one of the larger refugee ships, filled with people on a grand scale, overpopulated; yet, it still offered the best food. Of course, Padme Amidala didn't know that as of yet, but she had heard about these ships, and had heard about their reputation. She stood there quietly, watching as the hundred of small dots of people filed onto the ship. The senator couldn't help but sigh as she saw what she was being reduced to. A small smile still creased her face.

Behind her a young man came up to her, and placed his arm around her shoulder, draping her in his warmth. Even before she needed to look at him she knew it to be Anakin, and as she glanced at him, she proved her concessions to be right. Smiling they gave each other a good morning hug, furthering their bond, deepening it. Near the small transport ship now, the other characters watched as this happened, barley able to hold in their amusement, nor shock.

Obi-wan pulled Amarhil aside, dragging him closer to the confines of the small transport ship. Near to him, Mace, with Dorme and Captain Typho joined in as well. Amarhil tried his best to put on an innocent face, but was shut down to notice that he didn't have a chance of hiding what he knew.

"Amarhil," Obi-wan looked at him with a look of suspicion. "Who is that exactly?"

Amarhil turned and faced the couple as they were hugging and having a small chat. He shook his head and then resigned himself to telling the truth. He shrugged once before answering, breathing in tightly.

He nodded. "It's Anakin Skywalker." He said without a break in his tone. Quickly he walked away, letting the others glance at the couple, remembering the words that he had just said.

Obi-wan's eyes rose in shock, so did Mace's. But the other two had only just heard of him, nothing much but old stories that Padme used to tell them. It was strange that he would turn up now, but then again, it was strange days that they were having. Mace has only the chance to test the boy in his youth, and looking at him now he was probably mistaken in his judgment. The boy flowed through the Force, both in it and surrounding him. He was indeed powerful, but how powerful he would indeed find out.

Obi-wan was mesmerized by the scene that he saw before him. Anakin Skywalker, Qui-gon's Chosen One. It was hard to believe at best, but, there he was. He had changed so much from being that youthful little boy that he knew back almost ten years ago, and also the little boy that they lost ten years ago.

The Jedi Knight shook his head and went over to Amarhil. He looked at him askance for the moment, watching him with a wry look on his face. His padawan met Obi-wan's stare with a questioning gaze.

"What?" he asked, his voice piped up high.

Obi-wan screwed his face up. "Why didn't you tell me that he was back?"

"It wasn't necessary," the padawan added innocently before walking off. "There was nothing too tell."

Obi-wan merely looked shocked at his apprentice's attitude. Usually they told each other everything, but this was a major setback. He would continue this conversation with his apprentice later, after he got back from taking care of the Senator. Breathing in, he turned around and walked back to his padawan.

"Amarhil," Obi-wan started as he neared his apprentice, earning another curious look from his apprentice. "Don't do anything without first consulting either myself or the Council."

Amarhil smiled, "Yes, master."

"Good." Obi-wan finished. The Jedi Master turned around only to come face to face with the senator. He swallowed loudly as she perked one of her eyebrows in the air. "I will get to the bottom of this plot quickly, M'Lady." He found himself smiling, "You'll be back here in no time."

She cocked her head momentarily. "I pray for your speed Master Jedi. I don't plan on being away for too long."

"Neither would I, my lady."

He watched as Amarhil came up and picked up his luggage and hers as well, and then stared directly at her face, making eye contact with her. She nodded and gave another hug to Dorme before moving off with Amarhil into the distance. Obi-wan though yelled off after him, causing him to turn around.

"Amarhil," he paused as they stared at each other, "may the Force be with you."

"And with you, master."

They all watched silently as the two beloved people wandered off into the distance towards the ship. Obi-wan sighed, and next to him, Mace began to rub his chin. Next to them Captain Typho didn't remove his glance, concerned that something strange was happening with this arrangement.

Obi-wan shook his head with concern. "I hope he doesn't try anything foolish."

Mace and Typho turned and stared at Obi-wan. Mace chided him with a smile. "Don't you trust your apprentice, Obi-wan?"

Captain Typho and Obi-wan laughed. The captain though straightened up quickly. "I'd be more concerned about her doing something, than him."

At those words they turned once more and faced where the two friends were walking, staring as they disappeared up the bounds of the ship. Obi-wan nodded once more, and swiftly turned, coming face to face with Anakin Skywalker.

Obi-wan almost jumped out of his skin when the younger man suddenly appeared before him. Mace turned swiftly as well, his hand on his saber, but he quickly released it when he saw who it was. He couldn't help but smile.

"It has been a long time, Obi-wan Kenobi," Anakin started. "Too long."

"Yes it has, my old friend," he found himself shaking with pleasure, and part fear. Obi-wan shook his head in a sorrowful way as he continued. "Yes it has."

* * *

"I don't trust him." Amarhil said as they entered the ship. Next to him the senator stared at him, with a queer look on her face.

"Don't trust who?" she queried, though she thought she knew whom he meant. And she was right. "Anakin?"

"Yeah." Amarhil nodded. "I don't trust him."

"Yes, you have already said that," Padme silenced him as they headed down the small corridor that was crowded with people. "Why don't you trust him?"

"I don't really know," the Jedi padawan stated. "Perhaps its because you know him, and I don't. Or even because he was meant to be the apparent Chosen One of the Jedi, and he summarily disappeared, and then somehow reappeared just when the Force is at its weakest within the past millennia."

The senator turned at him, giving him a strange smile. "Are you partly jealous," she started. "Or just afraid?"

Amarhil stared at her for the moment, eyeing her with an even look. It was unnerving, but before she turned away the Jedi replied with an even firmness. "Both." He nodded reluctantly. "Both."

* * *

Once again, for the second time in his life, Anakin Skywalker stood within the tower of the Jedi Council chambers, awaiting their approval. It was stupid really, but when it was suggested by Mace that he come along to be 'tested' he decided to comply. On the plus side he had put many of them to worry about him for the past ten years, and Yoda himself had been searching for him regularly. Most of it was at the insistence of Qui-gon who had left the Order to go and find him, to possibly train him.

When he had heard that Qui-gon had left the order because of him, he felt that he was the cause of Obi-wan not being able to reach his full potential. But Obi-wan held no ill against him, it was just a thing of the passed, and he preferred to leave it at that.

As he stared at each of the Council Members faces, he noticed their expressions, somewhere between total shock and disbelief to utter annoyance, if not fear. 'It feels good to be feared,' he thought to himself. He regretted that though almost immediately.

"Not good to think that, young Skywalker," Yoda said in his rough and edgy voice. Anakin nodded almost immediately at the Jedi Master's words. "Changed you have become over the years, Skywalker. More physical, stronger, powerful," he closed his eyes and opened them within a minute. "You have great potential."

Anakin smiled, though when he stared at Yoda's face it disappeared. "Tell us, you will, of where you were trained?" Yoda asked in his broken worded voice. There was a look in his eyes of utter determination.

Anakin nodded and began to tell his tale in a short, short version of the truth. He took in a deep breathe before he started talking. "I was taken away from Mos Espa almost ten years ago by someone, or some people who trained me is the Dark Arts," the air seemed to be sucked in almost immediately. "But I was saved after one year by a hermit who lived on the edge of the Dune Sea, near Mos Eisley on Tatooine. He felt the Dark Side within me and began to train me in the light."

"Excellent news, this is." Yoda started, but nodded when Anakin gave him a queer look. "Continue, you will."

"Thank you," Anakin returned. "I want you to tell you that I was visited by one of you people from the Jedi Order every few months to check in on my training."

"Who was this supposed Jedi?" Ki-adi asked with a conviction in his words.

"Qui-gon Jinn, my lords," there were consecutive groans from all around the room, but he ignored them and continued. "He trained me in the Living Force for many weeks at a time, and even so, he gave me great insight into the Force, making me understand how it worked. The old hermit though also trained me, making me understand death and life itself. He was apparently a master swordsman once in the Jedi Order, and he taught me all of the forms, I through to VII, and even some of his own skills that he had learned throughout the years, which he named Form VIII."

"Form VIII?" one of the masters asked.

"Yes," Anakin repeated. "Form VIII."

Yoda interrupted him for a moment. "Know anything you do, of Vader?"

Anakin's voice dropped, and he became stiff. The room suddenly became very cold. "Vader?" he motioned, "Who…Who told you about Vader?"

The Jedi Master's shifted in their chairs. Anakin eyed them looking side to side at them, each and every one of them. Behind him Obi-wan, who was standing in the doorway also noticed the change in the Masters composure. He regarded them all for a moment.

Anakin noticed that some of the Masters began to nod to one another, and sent their nods to Ki-adi or Mace, who in turn nodded to Yoda. Yoda nodded as well and faced one of the master's to his side and nodded in turn. Anakin followed the nod and stared at the Zabrak Master who received the nod. It was Eoth Koth.

He regarded himself for a moment before talking. "Some weeks ago we received a tip of an assassination attempt on Senator Amidala. At first we didn't believe the warnings, but these were not idle threats or warnings, and were carried through with vigilance. We were able to apprehend one of the assassins who identified himself as an Edern Lars…"

"Edern?" Anakin interrupted him, giving a surprised breath, his face grave.

"Now him, do you?" Yoda asked.

"Yes, master, he is from Tatooine," Anakin answered. "Is he still here?"

"Unfortunately not Anakin," Mace supplied. "He was killed some days ago by another assassin." His eyes narrowed suddenly. "Since you know Edern, then do you know who Vader is, as Edern knew who he was?"

Anakin remained in silence for a moment. He didn't want to tell them what he knew about Vader. But he had to. "Yes," he nodded, "yes, I knew a person named Vader."

"Really?" Mace once more offered, feeling the agitation and inquiring glances of the masters. "Where might I ask that you met him?"

Anakin licked his lips. He had done it now. He had dug himself into a hole where there was no way out. And he was going so well as well, only for it to end like this. He shook his head and smiled, almost ending in a laugh. He knew what he was going to do.

"I trained with him."

There it was, the shock registering off of all of the Master's faces. They all shifted in their seats and stared at each other, silently voicing their opinions. Anakin dragged his face from one master to the other until Mace called for silence.

"Are you privy to allow us anymore details of your past life, Skywalker?" He asked in a firm aggressive tone, leaning forward in his chair. "Is there anything else that you are hiding from us?"

Anakin rolled his eyes, and thought hard for a moment. "No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Mace's faces straightened suddenly, and he leaned back into his chair, resting comfortably where he was. He nodded to himself, and then stared at Yoda. Yoda nodded again and stared at Obi-wan and young Anakin.

"Master Obi-wan," he said, "Until our verdict announced it is, entertain young Skywalker, you will."

"Yes, master." Obi-wan returned, his gaze firm.

"Leave us."

Anakin turned to leave, and as he did so, he felt all of the master's eyes on his back, watching him carefully. All he could do was muster a half smile, aware that he had triumphed on this day against the Jedi.

* * *

The ship headed through hyperspace at a phenomenal speed.

Amarhil, Jedi protector to Padme Amidala stood in the wash room, washing his hands and face, aware that it was going to be a long trip. He hated long travels, and among all the placed that he didn't want to go was Naboo. And above all the things that he didn't want to do was be a babysitter to a young nobody senator who was likely to die in his charge.

That didn't worry him as much as it should, but he more so cared for his life. He didn't want to die protecting her; he would rather die furthering his own cause. It was all the Jedi Master's fault. He hated them, couldn't stand them giving him orders. He wanted to be out of the order. He swore a few times that once he was a Jedi Knight he would be out of here, and into the real world, with a wife and family to take care of.

Once more he dipped his hands in the water and brushed them over his face, rubbing it in as he went. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He felt a small twinge in the Force, but let it fly by. Opening up his eyes he stared at the window once more, and nodded. He turned swiftly only to be pushed back against the wall by a gloved hand. He struggled against the Force of the hand, and couldn't move. He grabbed hold of the hand and then saw a face appear before him. He saw Anakin.

Anakin smiled at him, and then hit him, making him fall to the ground. The Sith Lord grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him up and threw his face into the water. The Jedi was crying out for mercy, but he would not listen.

Leaning his head down to his ears Anakin whispered something into them. Almost immediately Amarhil pulled himself up out of the water, and then searched the room, only to find that he was alone, and in a complete state of shock.

* * *

Anakin Skywalker smiled to himself as he stared into space. What he had just done was for the good of Padme and him, and e would hope that that young Jedi would understand that. Hopefully he would listen to it. Because if he didn't…well, he would think about that later as of now he was expected in Lord Nihilus' offices.

Making his way up the hallway to his friend's office, he wondered how long it had been since he had seen him. Nearing a year and a half he thought it was, as he had been training hard under the Sith holocrons and their spirits, learning much of the Force and the Dark Side. It was truly amazing, and he could scarcely believe it. The power that he had inherited from the Sith Lords was phenomenal.

Anakin stopped almost immediately as he stood in front of his friend's office, and he knew, almost for certain, that Nihilus knew that he was here. Closing his eyes, he wished to see his friend, and then as soon as he opened them, he was facing his master. Smiling they embraced.

It was only a quick embrace. "You do know that I didn't teach you those force power just so that you could wish to be anywhere that you wanted. You have to limit yourself Vader, I don't want you to overwork yourself with just winding up anywhere as soon as you open and close your eyes."

"It was only for a bit of fun though." Vader returned, hoping to be reasonable with his master. "It is practice."

"Then limit your practice," Nihilus declared, with his Lenin beard and mouth fiercely sharpening their wits. "I have no intention of losing you soon."

"You won't, my master," the Sith Lord supplied, hoping to end the conversation.

"Good," Nihilus declared, the sides of his mouth twitching. "See that I don't." He pauses and took in a deep breath for a moment. "So, how are you?"

"I am fine, my lord," Vader replied after a moments hesitation. "You?"

"Never better."

"Good."

Nihilus made his way towards his chair, and sat down quietly behind his desk. He extended his hand and offered Vader a chair before his desk. Vader, seeing this complied and sat down facing his master. There was a tense moment until Nihilus started speaking.

"How is the front?" he asked, concerning the battle over Sluis Van.

Vader nodded. "The battle goes well, milord. The shipyards were occupied before the Allied fleet could arrive, and as they did so we destroyed the shipyards, thereby limiting the capability of the Republic ever gaining ships. The Terrens themselves were overjoyed by their victory against the Republic, and pledged themselves to our cause. At this moment, I have them building Imperial-class Star Destroyers, mainly to replace their own outdated Battlestars."

"Excellent," Nihilus nodded. "It caused quite a stir here. Believe it or not many people were wondering about Palpatine's leadership capabilities, and to that fact they have wondered if he can still guide the Republic through this time, being with the Separatist Crisis, and even the latest – embarrassment at Sluis Van."

"How much of their fleet did they lose in the explosion?"

"Around half," Nihilus smiled, almost in a laughing manner. "It appears that you seemed to destroy much of the Alien occupied forces, rather than the human part of the fleet. But it doesn't appear to matter as tensions between them have never been higher. Some of the senators have branded together to start the Anti-human Party. They have already begun to ruin many of the more popular, if not wealthier humans on Coruscant."

"That would make the Jedi extremely strained them, wouldn't it?" Anakin asked.

"Yes it would." Nihilus replied.

"Speaking of the Jedi," Vader started, leaning closer to his master. "Have they taken any notice of you yet, especially with you taking a name of a long dead Sith Lord?"

His master smiled, "They have taken a small interest in me, yes. But what about you, and being called Anakin and Vader.

"They believe me when I said that Vader trained with me. Also that Edern lived nearby didn't help much." He paused for a moment. "I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't start to draw parallels between all of us soon."

"You are living on a thin line, Vader." Nihilus said.

"As are you, my friend."

They remained in silence for a moment longer before Vader stared around the room, as if searching for something. "Where is Maul?"

Nihilus stared at him for the moment. "He is out recruiting Thrawn to our side. I have a feeling that he will fight for the highest bidder. And to add to that I have promised Thrawn whatever support that he needs to get back on his feet, as long as he will aid me."

"Do you think that he will?"

"I believe so," Nihilus silenced him. "Now enough idle chatter, we have work to do."

* * *

I hope that you like that chapter. Still more to come yet.

Please review.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 – Powers Revealed **

**Part 2**

It had been years since he had been within the bounds of the Jedi Temple. Sure he had been here just the day before, but that was only to the Council Chambers, and perhaps up a few flights of stairs. Now though he was walking through the giant halls and auditoriums, the training room, watching as padawans and younglings and Jedi Knights alike all took in their training, sparing and learning within the Force. Vader…, well, he had to be Anakin for the moment, immediately thought that he would have to watch many of these younglings and padawans, to see if any had potential, and give the list to his master.

His line of thought was interrupted when Obi-wan stood behind him, watching him. Anakin felt the intense heat of his eyes, and felt his old friend's eyes glancing over him, as if studying him. It was what he had expected as soon as he had revealed himself to them, but not on this level.

Turning, he faced Obi-wan and smiled. "I felt you watching me."

Obi-wan's gaze turned to utter shock. He was surprised as he had his shields and Force presence masking him. He was about to answer when Anakin interrupted him.

"I could sense you a mile away, my old friend," Anakin now beamed at him, his tone becoming lighter. "Anyone could smell you with that aftershave almost to where the Senate district is."

The Jedi Master's face now narrowed. "It's not that bad, Anakin. You of all people would have to understand that. Just because you are not used to it on Tatooine, or wherever you actually come from."

"Still speculating about me then Obi-wan?" Anakin asked curiously, raising his eyebrows. "Can't figure out if I am telling the truth or not?"

Obi-wan wasted no time in stepping forward to Anakin, standing next to him and leaning against the railing. His face had become hard and serious. "The whole Temple has heard of you Anakin, and many of the Masters seem to be at abuzz, hoping to catch a glimpse of you fighting. You are still somewhat of a legend around here, especially since you fought with the Sith many years ago."

He paused momentarily, taking in a deep breathe. His tone became lower, "And yes, many of the masters are wondering why you have chosen to re-appear at this time once more. It is a bit suspicious, and they want to make sure that you are telling the truth."

"And what do you think, my old friend?" Anakin asked, his tone matching the Jedi Master's.

Obi-wan was silent for a moment, thinking of an appropriate answer. He moved his head from side to side, as if thinking hard. Licking his lips he then turned and stared at the younger man next to him, his gaze unwavering and stern.

"I think that there are some loopholes in your story, but other than that," he paused, "I believe you, though…"

"…from a certain point of view?" Anakin finished, smiling. He knew what Obi-wan was going to say even before he was going to say it. That line was always his favorite lines; it was as if it was his own personal catchphrase. It was one thing though; Anakin always hated it when he said it. Everything is from a certain point of view. Why can't everything be right or wrong, with no views in-between. It would make life a whole lot simpler.

Obi-wan smiled, seeing Anakin smile with him. "Yes," he stared at his friend, amusingly quaint. _'Here it comes,'_ Anakin thought. He had been waiting for it. "Everything is from a certain point of view."

They both smiled once more and then fell into a silent tone. There was nothing passed between them for a number of minutes, and around them they heard the sound of laughter and crying from the younger students. Anakin sighed as he remembered all of those younglings craving attention from him, leaving their classes just to watch the Chosen One in action. That was a strange feeling, and he loved it, gaining all of the attention. Though, in he end, he did piss off a number of Master's and Knights. But it was worth.

He remembered seeing that image, but he also remembered the night that he was ordered to destroy the Jedi Temple. That was probably one of the most pleasurable things that he had seen, or let alone down, in his lifetime. Fighting anyone who came up to him, be he Jedi Knight, padawan or Master. He killed them all, cutting them down one by one, leaving their remains to be gathered up by the Sith later on. And then the terrified younglings in the Council Chambers, he watched as every one of them screamed when he tore his lightsaber through their bodies. They cried out for him to stop, but he kept going, mutilating their bodies.

Obi-wan stood next to Anakin, and could see him gripping the hand rail very tightly. But he remained silent for a few more moments before gaining his attention. He touched him on the shoulder, shaking him lightly. Anakin sharply turned, facing the Jedi Master. Obi-wan almost cried out, watching the facial features on his younger friends head suddenly become twisted and dark. His eyes had turned a yellow colour, as if he was seething in anger. Obi-wan swallowed and shook him lightly once more, calling out his name.

"Anakin," he started, though softly at first, until it became louder. "Anakin? Are you alright?"

Anakin immediately shook himself out of it, shaking his head wildly. He bought his hands up to his eyes and rubbed them, drawing the liquid away. Groaning loudly as he did so he gained a worried stare from Obi-wan who, looked as if he had just been hit in the face with a brick. Anakin partly smiled underneath his hands, aware that he had done so. He hoped that Obi-wan was frightened of him to some degree. Obi-wan once more called to Anakin, asking if he was alright, but Anakin tried not to hear him as his attention was drawn away to the other end of the hall.

Turning abruptly, he felt the intent gaze of Master Windu on him. Stiffening, Anakin straightened up, and waited as Mace came closer. Even as he did so, Anakin began to read his mind. He had obviously just seen what had happened to him, and it had been a strange way for him to act, but, it didn't really matter. Anakin couldn't care less what Mace thought. It was none of his business, and technically, Anakin wasn't even a Jedi, although he had been trained by one. And he had been trained by another Jedi who had been in disgrace. Let alone, he shouldn't even be in the Temple bounds. Yet, the Council had asked him to stay on. It was as if he knew that they wanted to study him, to see if he was acceptable.

Mace stood firm in his place opposite Skywalker and Obi-wan, watching them with a firm gaze that equaled his stance. They merely stared back at him, securing eye contact. The darker Jedi merely nodded, his tone changing and he began to smile. His eyes darted over the darker Jedi, growing wider. Images of himself slicing off his hand in the Chancellors Office, and then subsequently throwing him out of the window, just so he could become a Sith Lord. He remembered him seeing him enshrouded in Sith lightning, the jolting volts vaulting through his entire body.

"Master Kenobi," Mace Windu greeted warmly making Anakin almost smiled, though he hid it.

"Master Windu," Obi-Wan said, his voice lightening into a friendly tone. He was still concerned with Anakin's behavior, and knew that Mace had seen it as well. He bowed hastily. "How may I honour you with this unexpected visit?"

Mace regarded him for a moment. Obi-Wan could feel his scrutinizing gaze. Anakin sighed as he felt Obi-wan's reaction to Mace's dignified gaze. Mace then turned his gaze towards Anakin, and Anakin immediately knew that his reaction to Mace's presence had made him curious. He then nodded, seeing that Obi-wan was awaiting an answer. "I came to…enquire about our young friend here, Obi-wan." The darker skinned Jedi narrowed his eyes at him for a moment, flickering his eyes along his whole body. "I came to see if he had time for a small sparing match before your meeting with Master Yoda."

Obi-wan mind flicked on and off in his head. He had a meeting with Master Yoda. He had forgotten all about it. "That's alright Master, you may take Anakin off of my hands here. I will be hard pressed by Yoda if I don't get to the meeting." He turned and faced his old friend. "My apologies Anakin, but I have to leave you in the capable hands of Master Windu for the time being."

"Swell." Anakin said in his most sarcastic and enthusiastic voice. Mace and Obi-wan merely eyed him.

As Obi-wan wandered off into the distance, Anakin turned and faced Mace. "I will take you up on your offer, my old friend, but I will warn you that you won't understand what you face."

Mace beamed with enthusiasm, hoping for a great challenge. "Try me, Skywalker. I want to see how good you are at sparing."

"I won't be what you expected," Anakin warned him. "In fact, I might surprise you."

"Excellent!" Mace cried out, grinning broadly. "I hope that you are worth the challenge Skywalker. Because if you're not…" he concluded shaking his head. They started to walk off in silence, making their way down to the sparing room below them. Anakin shot a quick glance at Obi-Wan over his shoulder that clearly warned him that he will pay for this.

Then again, all of the Jedi would.

* * *

Two cloaked figures stood in the dark room, watching the visual cameras on the screens before them. They had spent time in the past few years planting small cameras along the halls and corridors of the Jedi Temple, placing them in every major room that was notable to be concerned of, including some private chambers. They were mainly to watch Anakin, or Vader, through his wanderings in the Temple. Also, they did hope to add to the effect of watching the Temple burn down from the inside.

The man on the far right nodded as he watched the screen, following Master Windu and Anakin down the halls, with a small crowd billowing behind him. His silent tone pierced the room effortlessly. "This should be interesting."

"He shouldn't be doing this." The other to his right warned. "This is not what we wanted to use his time doing. He needs to be taking his mission seriously."

"He is taking it seriously, master," the other started, coming to the defence of Vader. "Let him have some fun with the other Jedi. He needs to gain their trust, and this is the only way for him to do so."

The man glanced at his partner, and eyed him curiously. "And this is coming from the Zabrak who had been created for the soul purpose of defeating the Jedi. I must say that I am surprised by you reaction, Maul."

The Zabrak's eyes narrowed as he followed his companion around the room, walking away from the cameras. "Were you expecting more?"

The Sith Lord's eyes shot up. "Yes."

The other Sith merely smiled, sitting down on a small chair opposite his master. "Sorry to disappoint," he added in his most quiet tone, almost sarcastic and yet emotional.

The other figure smiled, and began to laugh, sitting down opposite the Zabrak. He breathed in as he did so, eyeing him carefully. He looked to his right and stared hard at the cameras before turning has gaze back to the Zabrak.

"What did Thrawn say?" he asked in a quiet tone.

Maul's eyes lit up. "He said that he will support us if we are willing to support him."

"That's it"

"No," Maul shook his head in an annoying way. He swallowed hard and took in a deep breath. "I gave him Piett."

The older man's eyes widened at first, but then narrowed. "You what?" he asked in an assured way. He was hoping that he had just misheard him. Giving up one of their best commanders was not going to cut it very well with their plan. He needed Piett just as much as he needed Thrawn.

"I gave him Piett," Maul stated in a slow manner.

The Dark Lord pursed his lips together. "Why?" he asked as his anger was building.

Maul could feel his master's anger building, and quickly came to assure him that nothing was wrong. "He asked for him, or more likely demanded it." he stated in a quick, yet calm tone. "It was his concession to working with us. Anyway, they can learn much off each other. They are almost as brilliant as each other."

"Is there anything else that you gave him," Nihilus started, his eyes glowing in a complete yellow, "that I should know about?"

Maul thought hard for a moment. Perhaps he should tell him that he had to give up seventeen Imperial-class Star Destroyers, half of his own fleet, to Thrawn as apart of the deal. But he thought better of it. Anyway, he would soon find out. So he thought that he had better tell him. Suddenly, as he was about to open up his mouth he felt his throat tighten, and he struggled to breathe.

"You gave him," he heard a silent, but menacing voice suddenly crawl over him, "seventeen Imperial-class Star Destroyers. Ships that were meant to be used in the war against Palpatine, ships that were to be used by us, not him. Were they even finished?"

"Yeees," came the reply, though just.

Nihilus released the grip on Maul, "You have disappointed me Maul," he added in between the gasps of his younger apprentice. "I hope that you have learned your lesson."

He could only hear Maul breathe out a small reply as he turned his gaze back onto the screen before him.

* * *

Mace had struck hard against Anakin's shoulder, causing him to falter and fall to the ground. Even as Anakin hit the ground he stared back up at Mace, who was holding his purple lightsaber at his throat. They glared at each other for a moment, holding their stern gaze. Windu then deactivated his saber and held up a hand for Anakin to help him get up. Mace smiled as he did so, letting Anakin know of his triumph. Around him a few of the spectators laughed and clapped as Windu had won, causing both combatants to stare around the room at the people watching them. It was almost full, both of security guards and a number of Jedi initiates and padawan learners. A number of Knights and Master's had appeared as well.

Anakin stared around at the spectators, watching as they clapped. He studied their faces, and remembered how they had all died. His saber and their chest. It bought a smile to his lips as he thought about it.

"A bit cocky, Skywalker," Mace offered him, causing Anakin to turn around. They stared at each other for a moment, narrowing their eyes and meeting each others gaze. They held the gaze temporarily, waiting for the other to falter first.

Anakin beamed further into a smile, and began to laugh. "We are now equal, Master Windu, one point each. Now for the match point."

Mace saw the apparent would be Jedi's smile, and was sickened by it. There was still something that he didn't like about this boy, and he would find out soon enough what it was about his nature that he disliked.

Making their way to other ends of the small arena, both Mace and Anakin lined up and faced each other, their gazes unwavering. Anakin nodded to himself, he had been waiting to use this new 'skill' of his to his advantage, and he hoped that now would be the best time to use it. he smiled again as he thought of it.

Opposite him Mace could see the younger mans smile. '_I hate smile. He won't be wearing that once I am finished with him.'_ he thought all of a sudden. He wanted to embarrass the boy, hopefully shut him down a number of levels. Above all, he wanted to teach him some respect, and make him learn that he was the only Jedi Master, and true swordsman of the Temple.

Anakin, still smiling, read his mind and shook his head. _'Damn he is a cocky man himself.'_ He paused momentarily, watching as Windu readied himself. _'Let's see how good he is.' _

They both readied themselves, and Anakin stood waiting for Windu to come at him. He was going to let him come, and then he would show him what it was truly like to feel the power of the Force, and what a master swordsman was like. As soon as he had thought that, the bell rang, causing Anakin to ignite his saber, and stand in a defensive position. Opposite him, Mace did the same thing, but ran at the apparent unprepared Anakin. The Sith saw him come closer, and closer, and merely smiled as he did so. Mace had the look of anger written into his face, trying to bait Anakin into moving, but was surprised when he did not begin to move.

Above them the crowd watched as Master Windu, seeing him get more incensed as he charged Anakin, who did not even move, but seemed to wait for the attack to come. Mace was yelling at the top of his lungs. He jumped up high into the air, his saber dragging behind him, and as he came closer to Anakin he swung wildly, slicing through the air and digging the saber into the ground.

There was a loud gasp as the air was sucked away. Windu had closed his eyes during what would have been the cut, but opened them again, and what he saw was – nothing. There was no Anakin Skywalker standing before him. He had all but disappeared.

The Jedi Master stood up from his crouched position, looking confused. Around him, the hundreds of Jedi and guards who had appeared to watch this match were equally mystified by Anakin disappearing. He stretched out with the Force, trying to find his signature, but was unable to do so. He was gone, he had disappeared. For a moment, Mace seemed worried, and yet triumphant, but the something appeared in his mind, growing larger and coming closer.

Mace took in a deep breath before swinging widely behind him, missing the younger Anakin who swung hard and slammed his body against Mace's and his saber against his. The Jedi Master cried out. Anakin had just appeared as he had disappeared. The crowds were equally shocked at his appearance.

Anakin smiled menacingly, showing his teeth. He then pushed himself away from Mace, letting him come at him. The dark skinned Jedi merely lunged at Anakin, swinging his saber past his body. Anakin slammed his saber down upon Mace's, causing him to jolt out of the way and reaffirm his stance. He watched as Anakin jumped high into the air, landing on one of the platforms. Mace followed him up there, their lightsaber fight intensified as a result of their confined space.

Anakin watched as Mace came at him in a rush, both hands wrapped around the hilt of his saber as he swung and twisted it at Anakin's thigh – and then he pivoted and came around for a strike at Anakin's shoulder. Anakin had anticipated such a feint, merely sidestepped and brought his blade up to block the shoulder cut, absorbing the slight jar as Mace's blade crashed into his own. But Mace was not yet left out of the loop. He jumped high in the air, pointed his lightsaber to the ground, and landed on his knee.

He stood up and waited for Anakin to come down and get him. Anakin, who was younger and more physically fit, was faster than Mace could comprehend; he was having trouble just holding onto his own. He watched as Anakin came down before him, lifting his saber up high, and bringing it down hard, striking Mace, and bringing him down to his knees.

Mace though was not yet finished, and resounding to beat his opponent he used his last amount of strength against him, striking him hard in several places. Anakin was afire with his lightsaber in his hand, blocking and parrying and cutting with effortless accuracy and precision, engaging and pulling back with a speed that couldn't be fathomed by Mace, causing him to falter where he stood. Anakin saw this, and with a swift strike kicked the dark skinned Jedi, making him fall to the ground. Mace's lightsaber flew up into the air making Anakin call upon the Force to call the lightsaber to him. As it landed in his hands, Anakin ignited it, placing both sabers at Mace's throat.

Mace eyed him for a moment, before he heard the distinct sound of the humming lightsaber disappear, becoming deactivated. He took in a deep breath before calming down. For a moment he was sure that Anakin was going to kill him, but he had been proven wrong. Indeed, he had just noticed himself that he was extremely cocky in his assuming that he was a better fighter than Anakin. He had been proven wrong.

Mace stood up, his face masking his defiance of Anakin winning. Taking back his saber from the younger man, he had a mind to ask him where he had learned his technique, but then though better of it. Anakin had won, and that was final. Mace proudly acknowledged his defeat before Anakin, by bowing, and then stalking off. Behind him though, the crowd began to murmur and then cheer the completion of the fight. Anakin stood where he was for a few minutes, waiting for the crowd to disperse. Even as he watched them go, he knew that they would be talking about this fight for many days now.

He turned around suddenly, and halted where he stood. Before him now three Jedi Master's stood before him, watching him distinctly. The Cerean Ki-adi Mundi, the Zabrak Agen Kolar and the Togruta Shaak Ti all stared at him, watching him carefully. He merely stared back at them for some time before they all congratulated him on his achievement.

Ki-adi, after a moment's silence, placed his hand on the Anakin's shoulder and looked into his eyes, trying to read them. Which, for Anakin's sake he couldn't. He nodded soon after, turning away. Beside him Shaak Ti spoke out.

"Anakin," she started, making him turn his attention onto her. "We were on our way to meditate when we saw you and Master Windu fighting. We are pleased that you won, and we were wondering if you felt like accompanying us to meditate."

Anakin thought for a moment. He was unsure how to go on, if he should say yes or no_. 'Gain their trust,'_ a voice said in his head. He nodded almost immediately, accepting the chance to meditate.

* * *

Obi-wan sat in silence, watching as the smaller figure of Master Yoda appeared before him, his walking stick slamming on the ground as he made his way through his own chambers. The Jedi watched him as he made his way to a chair, and getting upon it, crossed his legs and stared at the youthful Jedi Master.

Obi-wan nodded his head as he stared at Yoda, he sighed, breathing in deeply. Yoda, noticed this, lowered his head in contemplation. "Bothering you something, young Obi-wan?"

The Jedi stared into Yoda's eyes, watching the queering nature and concerned looks of the Jedi Grand Master. He seemed to be employing a queering smile. Obi-wan shook his head, and then sighed even deeper. "Anakin, master," Obi-wan said quietly. "He has changed since we last saw him."

"Indeed," Yoda answered in a knowing tone. "Older he has become, and much wiser. Though I can tell, that you think he has not."

"No, master."

Yoda lowered his head and shook it. "Changed he has become indeed. A great darkness surrounds him, enshrouded within him. Different he may seem."

"There is fear surrounding the boy," Obi-wan continued. "He is full of hate," he paused for a moment, "And anger. He is no longer the boy that I used to know."

Yoda nodded. He had seen Anakin change even over the two days that he had been here. He had become more angry, less calm, and then would switch between the two. It was as if he had alternate personalities, and would at times choose which ones would suit him best. The younger man was complicated at best.

Yoda groaned in his seat, as if considering something. He then stared at Obi-wan, opening himself up into the Force. "Ask approval you do," Yoda stared at his younger friend. "Want him to come with you on your next mission, you do."

"Yes, master," Obi-wan countered, swallowing as he went. "I have found a link between the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala and a place near the edge of the CoCo Town, a small diner named after the owner, Dex."

"Know of it well, you do?" Yoda asked, his voice curious.

The Jedi Master nodded. "Yes, master. Anyway, he has told me that many 'shady' characters have been eating there as of late, talking about an employer named Dooku who apparently told them to watch out for senator Amidala, and if possible, to eliminate her." Yoda's eyes peaked at this interest. "It seems that they may also attempt to take out the other senators opposed to the Conscription Bill, as well as the Military Creation Act."

"What think you if they succeed?" Yoda asked with a meaningful tone.

Obi-wan took a moment to think of it. "If they do succeed in what they do they may bring about a start to the war that we all fear."

"I agree." Yoda said into silence. "Take with you, you will, the care of the Force. Changing, I sense it is." He stopped and fell silent, nodding his head. "Take with you, young Skywalker, you wish, do you?"

"Yes, master." The taller Jedi Master nodded assuredly. He might be able to fit in with them more so than Obi-wan could. And on the upper side, he was already attached to the senator, and they were extremely close.

"Allow this, I will." The aged Jedi aster commented. "Though lightly. Take with you another you will, and watch young Skywalker's movements. Fully trust him, I do not."

"Yes, Master Yoda." Obi-wan nodded, getting up off of his seat. He quietly left the room, heading out into the hallway. He had to find Anakin.

* * *

Far below them, and on the opposite side of the Temple, Anakin Skywalker, secretly Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, waited in silence, apparently meditating with three Jedi Council Members. He had heard what Yoda had said, and his discussion with Obi-wan. The attempts on Padme's life went ahead besides him being here, and he was not able to stop them. Although they did get Jango Fett out of it in the end, there were still threats on her life.

Anakin smiled. Obi-wan and he were going on their first mission, but they were not going alone. Perhaps they were going to bring another Master with them, or even perhaps a Jedi Initiate. But whoever it was, Anakin would have to get rid of them. It should just be him and Obi-wan. He would make sure that it would be just so.

But also, he would make sure that he would get rid of these apparent assassins. Then Padme can live her life in peace. They would pay for what they attempted to do to her. Oh yes, they would pay with their lives.

After all this, there was only one problem that he would have to deal with. He smiled now, even as he thought of that problem.

* * *

I hope that you enjoyed that. Please review. 


	26. Authors Note

To my dear Readers…

I do apologize for any inconvenience that this notice will put on any of you.

All stories on my various accounts and websites will now be put on hold, except for those, if any, have been finished. I will return to them at a later date and will pressure myself to complete them, or re-write them.

Once more I do apologize for any inconvenience…

Darth Kiryan...


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